MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Dark Tragicomedy/Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Gary Lydon, Pat Shortt, Sheila Flitton, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Jon Kenny, Aaron Monaghan, David Pearse, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, John Carty/Runtime: 114 minutes
I think it’s safe to start this review off by providing you with a bit of info that might leave you confused at best and at worst wondering if you’re reading something that is less a film review and more a self-help article. That being that, when you really stop to think about it, the bond of marriage might be a life-long (you would like to hope) vow between a pair of people and yes it can get quite messy when those two people decide that, for whatever reason, they just don’t want to be married anymore, but there is a situation that is perhaps just as bad if not worse. That situation being for a pair of friends who have long been tied at the hip to not only suddenly and swiftly decide they no longer wish to be friends, but to run into difficulty in not interacting with each other let alone being in the same room due to the fact that their community of residence just so happens to be the kind that is so small that it’s almost like the bar Cheers in that everyone knows everyone. Of course, for those of you wondering how the latter situation could be worse please allow me to explain by saying that marriage, for all its ups and downs, does manage to come with an escape clause of sorts. Sure, that divorce will come with a seemingly infinite amount of paperwork and sure there will be arguments about who gets what in terms of property (pro tip: always call dibs on the car and the television), but at least there’s a point where you can breathe a sigh of relief because it’s over and you never have to see them again. In the dissolution of a friendship however, there is no paperwork, there is no fighting on who gets what (hopefully), and the journey you as an individual must take to get past it ending is one that is different for everyone since everyone handles things like that differently. That and when you also have to factor in the element that you will also have to still see that person every day it’s clear that the healing process is one that is definitely going to take some time and maybe see you make some decisions that a rational mind would look at and go “ummm are you SURE you want to do that?”. The reason I bring all of this up to you dear reader is because the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin, is one that deals with such a situation as the one I have been describing albeit taken to an extreme that I doubt many of us would dare think of going to. Yet although this is not a perfect cinematic outing by any stretch, it is one that does prove to, at least in the eyes of this reviewer, prove to be an incredibly engaging one through its blend of tragedy, heartbreak, and more than a drop of dark and absurd comedy thrown into the mix as well. Suffice it to say that when you manage to factor in compelling and extremely well-done work on both sides of the camera, The Banshees of Inisherin is a low-key comedic, delightfully caustic, and contemplative slice of cinema that if you can synch up with its particular wavelength you are sure to find more than a fair bit to really appreciate and enjoy here in equal measure.
The plot is as follows: Taking place in the long-ago year of 1923 off the coast of Ireland on a quant lil’ isle known as Inisherin as the Irish Civil War begins to reach a resolution, The Banshees of Inisherin gets underway as we see that, despite one conflict starting to wrap up, another one is about to get started. In this case however, the fight is not between groups of men or even amongst the entirety of the island’s denizens, but rather two men on the isle who call her home. The first one is an easygoing member of that distinct community known as dolts by the name of Pádraic Súilleabháin and the other is his lifelong best mate/ loyal drinking buddy Colm Doherty. Yet, in a rather distinct twist, we see that this more personal war doesn’t start with guns, knives, bombs, or weapons of any kind really. Rather, it starts when Pádraic heads out to the town watering hole to join his friend for their daily tradition of having a brew together at 2:00…..only to inexplicably discover that his chum is nowhere to be found. Things get even stranger though when, following his reassurances to virtually everyone in the pub that he and Colm are still the best of friends imaginable, we see that Pádraic is able to locate his chum back at his home and attempts to ask him why he skimped out on not partaking in their daily time of drink. Yet not only does Colm not really give him that much of an answer, if any, on why he suddenly has no desire to spend time with him, but he also firmly requests that he leave posthaste. Of course, it should come as no surprise, due to being a blend of ruffled, baffled, and wounded, to learn that while Pádraic not only can’t begin to comprehend what is going on to say nothing of wanting some kind explanation he does at the very least try to make himself feel better that this is nothing more than just some kind of misunderstanding that will blow over sooner rather than later. To that end, we see that our main character tries to find some degree of contentment in his sister Siobhán’s wisdom only to gently persuade her to push Colm into giving her an answer as to what has gone awry in the friendship. Upon doing so, we learn that Colm has recently found himself deciding to put as much of his energy as he possibly can into playing the fiddle and feels that the very moronic Pádraic is keeping him from being the best that he could be at that. Yet when, much to Colm’s immense frustration, Pádraic won’t leave him be we see that Colm presents him with a shocking ultimatum. One that will not only shock everyone in the town to say nothing of poor Pádraic, but also inadvertently lead to the rise of an escalating conflict of wills between the two men that could potentially affect more lives than just their own…..
Now right off, it is worth noting that the work done behind the camera on this slice of cinema is nothing short of majestic. To be sure, this slice of cinema may be the first cinematic outing where its scribe/helmer has chosen to venture away from the crime genre of movie magic (even if one character in this might view the other’s seemingly relentless attempts to converse with him as a crime against his ears). Even with that in mind though, there is no denying that Martin McDonagh’s distinct gift for conjuring up novel ways to immerse us as movie goers in his favorite thematic concepts of vengeance, comradery, and one’s sense of impermanence is very much as on point as it ever was. Perhaps one of the key things that goes toward ensuring this is the fact that, when you really stop to think about, McDonagh is a genuinely great and (wonderfully I might add) consistent scribe when it comes to dialogue. I mean here is a guy whose writing style possesses Sorkin’s clarity, Tarantino’s lyrical wordiness, and even a wonderfully contemptuous humor that aids immensely in undermining the bleaker aspects of humanity he usually showcases. As dark, sharp, and delightfully ridiculous as McDonagh’s writing is able to be though, we see that this slice of cinema proves itself distinct due to possessing immense degrees of both affection and compassion which, besides providing the film with a intriguing degree of pathos-centric I.Q. to say nothing of insight, also is able to accomplish something else. That being that the film does not make it easy to determine who among the two men is the good guy or bad guy here. Yes the character of Pádraic with his heart, decency, and kind demeanor might seem like the obvious choice to root for here, but as the film goes on and we see some of the choices that he makes it isn’t long before you will start beginning to empathize with Colm who, all things considered, really is just asking to be left alone albeit in a rather extreme manner. Suffice it to say there is no clear-cut answer on who is right and who is wrong here, but rather than act as a deterrent to the film, we see that it actually helps to strengthen it due to permitting us to see the rationale behind both of these characters’ distinct perspectives. Besides the wonderful work on the film’s script however, we also see that this truly is an absolutely gorgeous cinematic effort as well. Indeed, with the aid of brilliant cinematographer Ben Davis, we see that the rolling green hills, the majestic ocean cliffs, and the chilled yet naturally lit greyish interiors of the various buildings within the community are captured with a beauty that is nothing short of breathtaking. That and by placing a lot of shots in windows and doorways, we see that Davis does a fantastic job at giving us the feeling that we are right there seeing this conflict unfold before our very eyes with the good townsfolk rather than far away in our respective living rooms. Of course, I would be completely amiss if I didn’t take some time during this section to also address the other key element behind the camera that helps this slice of cinema work as beautifully as it does. That being the nothing short of phenomenal musical accompaniment from the gifted Carter Burwell. Indeed Burwell gives us a score here that manages to be a wonderful mix of melodious yet also melancholic all in one that is also able to operate as a beautiful reflection of what we are seeing unfold on screen.
Of course, the other element that absolutely without question makes this slice of cinema as enjoyable of a viewing experience as it ultimately turns out to be would have to be the brilliant work done by the undeniably talented cast of players in front of the camera. This starts with Colin Farrell who, as Pádraic, is nothing short of top-tier here. Indeed Farrell does a grand job at giving us a guy who, for all intents and purposes, is a good-hearted yet slow on the upkeep if you get my drift guy who not only can’t come to grips with the fact that the one friend he thought would always be there no longer wants him around and who only finds himself resorting to some of the things that he does in this not out of a sense of genuine malice, but because with his support system rapidly crumbling out from under him he really doesn’t know how to handle it. Yet even in those moments where the character does become a bit more unlikable, we see that Farrell does a wonderful job at ensuring that the character’s motivations are at least understandable even if not entirely approvable. Suffice it to say that the character of Pádraic is one that is more than just likable yet run of the mill or one note yet incredibly emotive. Rather, he is also a delightfully three-dimensional individual who, in the hands of the immensely talented Farrell is brought vividly to life with a wonderful blend of desperation, hand-wringing worry, kindly mood, and spot-on humanity. Not to be overlooked however is the work done here by the equally as enjoyable Brendan Gleeson in the role of Colm. Indeed this is a role that is a lot more difficult to bring to life since playing him the wrong way would instantly get him labeled as the “antagonist” of the piece due in no small part to how brusquely he treats one-time chum Pádraic. Thankfully, we see that Gleeson does a wonderful job at not only making this character less an antagonist and more a believable human being, but also by giving him such an immense reservoir of both sorrow and alarm at the possibility he might not live that much longer that we find ourselves able to sympathize with him. Suffice it to say that whilst both of our male lead characters are odd in their own ways, I think praise should be given to both Farrell and Gleeson for making sure they also feel less like fictional characters and more like three-dimensional real life human beings Backing up our two powerhouse performers though is a pair of support performances that I also feel are most assuredly worthy of mention here. The first without question has to be the wonderful effort here from Kerry Condon (the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. in the MCU) in the role of Pádraic’s sister Siobhán. Indeed not only does Condon brilliantly make this character the only individual here who can actually say what’s on her mind, but she also does a terrific job at operating as a fascinating middle ground of sorts between Colm and Pádraic as well. Besides Condon however, the other key support performance here without question comes from Barry Keoghan in the role of the town doofus Dominic Kearney. Yes Keoghan has as of late shown a phenomenal skill at playing quirky characters such as this, but here he also manages to give this character a surprising bit of insight and dimension that, besides coming to play in a significant way as the film goes on, definitely make this another winning performance from an actor who has quickly become one of the more exciting talents of his generation.
All in all and at the end of the day, is The Banshees of Inisherin a perfect slice of cinema by any means? Sadly that is not the case though certainly not for lack of effort. At the same time though, does that make this the worst slice of cinema since Colin Farrell thought starring in a remake of Total Recall was a good career move or Brendan Gleeson decided to be in, of all things, The Smurfs 2? Thankfully, I can say that this film is infinitely better than either of those cinematic atrocities. Indeed this slice of cinema most assuredly will not be for everyone due in large part to the fact that not only are both of our main characters in this both in the right and in the wrong fairly consistently throughout the duration of the film’s 117-minute, including credits, runtime, but also because this is one slice of cinema that says more through the powers of witnessing as well as contemplation rather than through any specific action taken by or shred of dialogue which finds itself being uttered at some point by any of the cast of characters in this. If however you are someone who is ok with a film that excels at being a potent mix of insightful, darkly comical, melancholic, and sure to leave you with quite a bit to ponder long after the credits have begun to roll in equal measure then I have no doubt that you will find a significant amount to enjoy here. Suffice it to say that it might not be a perfect film, but with the aid of extremely well-done work both behind and in front of the camera, The Banshees of Inisherin is an intriguing look at how sometimes when someone tells you they don’t want to be your friend anymore the best thing you can do is just take it in stride and move on with your life. Not just for them, but for yourself as well. Sure, it won’t be easy by any means, but at least it won’t lead to the events which occur in this film…..hopefully. Make of that dear reader what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Banshees of Inisherin a solid 4 out of 5.
