#MovieReview: The Banshees of Inisherin and the breakdown of male friendship
Deliciously dark, laugh-out-loud funny and with an undercurrent of real heart, The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the movies of the year.
The Banshees of Inisherin expertly merges melancholy with pitch-black humour in the way that only Martin McDonagh can.
The Irish playwright-cum-director again flexes his steel grip on bone dry dark comedy, best served by a returning co-star duo of Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell.
Gleeson and Farrell shared the screen in McDonagh’s first feature length film, In Bruges, and their palpable chemistry goes a long way to ensuring the success of Banshees.
They play long-time friends on the fictional sleepy island of Inisherin, set against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War in 1923.
That is until the elder Colm (Gleeson) faces a little late-in-life existential dread and decides that he does not have enough time in his life left to maintain the friendship, abruptly cutting off Pádraic (Farrell).
In typical McDonagh style, the central moment of conflict is not teased out to be later revealed, rather coming in minute five of the movie; it’s even in the trailer.
This leaves him two hours to flesh out the world of Inisherin and give us a window into what caused the rift.
We get deeper character studies, of Colm and Pádraic, as well as the excellent supporting cast of Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon, who leave an indelible make on the windswept Irish landscape.
You see, this is not a bustling metro, where you are able to find a new drinking buddy every week.
One gets the feeling that – for Pádraic in particular – the afternoon pint with Colm has been a ritual which held the rest of his life together.
Naturally, the story goes in a number of unexpectedly dark and hilarious directions as the likeable, but simple Pádraic tries to wrestle with the situation.
The strength of McDonagh’s writing, coupled with the performances (all four leads were nominated at the Golden Globes) makes this a memorable watch.
It might even see you looking at a few friends in new light.
Deliciously dark, laugh-out-loud funny and with an undercurrent of real heart, The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the movies of the year.
You can expect to see it performing well on the upcoming awards circuit.
Rated 18 for Language, Violence and Nudity.
4.5/5.
Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news
Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0
WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Add The Courier to WhatsApp at 082 792 9405 and WhatsApp your name and surname to be added.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
