OnScreen Review: "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Ken Jones, Chief Film Critic
In 1923, a civil war is being waged in Ireland. Just off the coast lies the fictional island of Inisherin, a small island community that keeps to itself and has avoided being drawn into the war on the mainland, even as they see explosions off in the distance on the horizon. Little does this island know that they are about the experience their own civil war of sorts, with the dissolution of a friendship in The Banshees of Inisherin, the latest film from acclaimed writer/director Martin McDonagh that sees him runiting his In Bruges stars, Colin Farrell and Brenden Gleeson.
Farrell’s Pádraic discovers one day that his lifelong friend Colm (Gleeson) does not want to be friends anymore. Pádraic is nonplussed, not sure if he said something to upset his dear mate while he was drunk or if Colm is pulling a prank on him. It soon becomes clear to Pádraic that Colm is serious, and that Colm just finds him dull and wants to spend the rest of his life doing something meaningful instead of aimless chatting. Word of the falling out between the two spreads quickly through the island community, to Pádraic’s sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon), Pádraic’s odd friend Dominic (Barry Keoghan), the pub owner, the priest, and other various town gossips. But it takes a while for it to sink in for Pádraic, and before long, Colm is threatening self-harm unless Pádraic leaves him alone.
This tale is about more than just the end of a friendship, the Irish civil war popping up from time to time on the periphery is a strong hint as to what the film is about; the seeds of animosity and consternation and domestic infighting are being sown in the explosions seen across the water, setting up decades of strife. Pádraic and Colm are a microcosm of those bitter seeds being sown, setting up years of enmity and resentments.
McDonagh’s film are typically also pretty bleak in their resolutions. Despite being bleak and often dealing with some tough subject matter, McDonagh’s scripts also manage to be riotously funny and strike the perfect balance of evoking laughs while also pondering deeper and heavier things, and The Banshees of Inisherin is no exception.
Pádraic is someone who certainly means well, and is a nice person. But there is more than enough evidence that Colm’s accusation of Pádraic being dull is true. Multiple transitions to a new scene start with Pádraic siting and just staring off seemingly with no thoughts on his mind. Conversely, there are also a few shots where Colm is sitting by himself or along with his dog, and the vibe is very different. It is not that Pádraic is dumb, he just comes across as simple and plain and not needing more out of life than what he already has, living with his sister, feeding his animals, and drinking with his best friend.
The problem is that there is not much to Pádraic’s life beyond those three things, and when one goes, it quickly becomes a house of cards and the prospects of increasing loneliness and isolation begin to loom more and more for Pádraic. It takes its toll on Pádraic, whose sunny disposition and boyish charm that Farrell portrays so effortlessly, is indelibly changed by the end of the film.
For his part, Colm’s decision is perfectly within his rights, even if it is dramatically abrupt and not very nice (though not a sin as he points out to his priest when questioned about it). He has come to the conclusion that he wants to leave something behind that he’ll be remembered for, and two hours conversations about what was in the feces of Pádraic’s pony is not going to help him accomplish that, so he makes a choice and makes a hard, unmoving stand to try and achieve that.
McDonagh gives the audience enough on both sides to understand each man even if they may be more sympathetic to one side than the other in this growing conflict. That understanding is challenged, though, by Colm’s threats of self-harm. McDonagh is not one to shy away from a threat that he writes into his film. In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri show that he has the courage of his convictions to follow through where many screenwriters would demure. If Colm threatens to cut a finger off for every time Pádraic insists on speaking to him, it should be taken as a credible threat by the audience.
There are touching and tender moments in the film as well. At one point, Pádraic says something to anger the local policeman and gets beaten up in the center of town in front of everyone, including Colm. In a moment of grace, Colm comes over and helps Pádraic up and helps him onto his cart and steers his horse for home. It is clear that while Colm no longer wants to be friends with Pádraic, he is far from wanting to be enemies with him; he just want to be left alone. Unfortunately, Pádraic cannot stomach that.
The location for this falling out, Inisherin, is beautiful to look at, and a place most people would love to visit, though you probably wouldn’t want to live there. It is a picturesque setting with stone-lined pathways, breathtaking cliffs, and pristine lakes and beaches, including where Colm’s seaside home. The island is also populated by great complimentary characters. Kerry Condon is outstanding as Siobhan, Pádraic’s longsuffering sister who lives with him, has very few prospects of a future on the island, and is increasingly unimpressed with Colm’s behavior and equally distressed by Pádraic’s failure to take a hint. Barry Keoghan’s Dominic is a horny young man who is maybe the biggest dimwit on the island, and presents a not-so-pleasing alternative to Pádraic as a drinking buddy.
There are a lot of movies about people falling in love, far fewer about people falling out of love, and even fewer still about bromances ending. Luckily, it is a film from Martin McDonagh, so it has great dialogue and Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are the best there are when it comes to delivering his words. It is such a delight to see these three working together again. The Banshees of Inisherin has laughs, poignancy, heartbreak, glimmers of hope, tragedy, and pathos. And a lot of variations of the work “feck.” It should garner a lot of fecking award nominations.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars