Running Time. 1 hour 49 mins
Director. Martin McDonagh
Cast. Kerry Condon, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan.
Rating. 72%
Set on a remote, fictional island off the west coast of Ireland, The Banshees Of Inisherin is a dark comedic tragedy about two men - Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson). Seemingly the best of friends, until Colm decides he no longer wishes to speak with Pádraic.
From this ridiculously simple premise stems an absurd parody of male friendship and a masterclass in the study of obsession in a relationship gone wrong.
Brendan Gleeson is perfectly cast as the determined Colm, increasingly frustrated with the drastic measures necessary to exclude his former friend from his life. But it is Colin Farrell's nuanced performance that is the most heartwrenching, as he struggles to comprehend his friend's position. Farrell will surely garner an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, although I think Brendan Fraser's portrayal of the reclusive English teacher, Charlie in The Whale will take some stopping. And whilst The Banshees Of Inisherin is surely destined for multiple accolades, I wonder if the film's greatest chance of success may be in the hands of the supporting cast, particularly Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Both Condon and Keoghan are given just enough material to elevate supporting roles to integral characters in the plot.
The film is profoundly beautiful to look at. Filmed on location on Inishmore and Achill Island, Ben Davis' cinematography is breathtaking, especially the mournful, desolate panoramas and seascapes.
Like In Bruges, The Banshees Of Inisherin is a character study through observation, reflection and dialogue. And whilst The Banshees Of Inisherin may not have the same acerbic dialogue and edge as In Bruges, or the rage of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it remains a compelling piece of work, perhaps more poignant than McDonagh's other offerings.
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