The Banshees of Inisherin

 

Score:  A-

Directed by Martin McDonagh

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan

Running time: 114 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Director McDonagh reteams with In Bruges stars Farrell and Gleeson in a quiet drama with big ambitions.  Farrell and Gleeson are great, as are co-stars Condon, and Keoghan, and it's very well done from the script to the scenery.  What starts as a simple and amusing tale, however, gradually evolves into a bleaker picture of a country friendship gone horribly awry; I much preferred the opening tone, but the ending isn't bad enough to spoil the experience.  Highly recommended.

On a tiny Irish isle during the 1920s and right next to the Irish civil war, life is slow and repetitive but generally content.  That's the case for local nice guy Padraic (Farrell), until one day he is spurned by his pub mate Colm (Gleeson).  Padraic is shocked by the sudden, inexplicable turns of events, and neither his sister Siobhan (Condon) nor another pal Dominic (Keoghan) can console him.  This simple act soon begins to have larger effects through the sleepy isle, and Padraic and Colm's once simple lives turn in directions they'd never expected.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a very well-made film from top to bottom, a realistic drama in many ways that is nevertheless unique and even surrealistic at times.  The film focuses on the simple character of Padraic, his day-to-day life and his relationships.  Plotwise, the most important of these is with (former) friend Colm, but plenty of time and attention is given to others as well, particularly Padraic's sister, Siobhan, and local scamp, Dominic.  The setting is beautiful and open, thanks to great photography and gorgeous scenery, yet also literally and symbolically confined within the little island, bouncing from Padraic's home, to Colm's, to the local pub, and back again (with a few exceptions).  To me, the particulars of the plot are also mostly a vessel to explore not only the interesting characters but, through them, a tension between outlooks on life:  is it better to live a simple, modest, yet contented life focused on loved ones, or to focus on achievements that will outlast your own life, happiness and loved ones be damned?

Like the its conflicting themes, the film itself can be split in two - a quietly remarkable first half, and a disquieting second half.  Banshees starts in a clever way - by jumping right into the main plot, with no character introductions or scene-setting, leaving the audience to piece it together (which doesn't take long, and is kind of fun).  The audience, then, is just as bamboozled as Padraic, at least at first, and it leads to some great humor.  Along with the laughs, the film provides some intriguing insights into the nature of friendship and the way we try to puzzle out what others are thinking and why they act as they do.  Padraic and Siobhan are both great characters, and played superbly by Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon (whom I recognized but couldn't remember where - she's Mike's daughter-in-law in Better Call Saul).  Padraic is so sympathetic and likable, simple yet nuanced and relatable; Siobhan is strong and brilliant, caring yet refreshingly willing to look out for herself; she's the MVP (and an aspiring librarian, no less!).  Things turn suddenly darker when Colm begins to take drastic measure in the friendship conflict; it's gruesome, but thoughtfully done and an interesting turn.  What I do not like is the way Padraic is transformed, especially in the last third or so.  The film seems to side with his life outlook, yet the conflict brings him down, anyway.  I feel sure that it could have gotten the same points across without "killing" Padraic, in a sense.  It was a disappointing development, to me.  Still, the film's quality is undeniable, and others may feel differently about the ending than me.

***

The Banshees of Inisherin, which I found out about just last week, is a welcome theatrical surprise as we head further into the fall and closer to Oscar season.  It is certainly much different than the last film I saw, Amsterdam, and interestingly opposite in some ways: Amsterdam is somewhat flawed from a technical standpoint but it nails the right feeling and ending (for me), whereas Banshees is outstanding filmmaking but has an ending that holds it back from greatness (for me).  I'll certainly be happy to see more dramas with quality like this in the months to come, though first, I'll be returning to superhero fun with the much-anticipated Black Panther sequel next week.  If you haven't already, I encourage you to get back out to the theater now!

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