Rating: 8.7
I love the films of Martin McDonagh, and “The Banshees of Inisherin” is no exception; I’d even go so far to say this might be his best film. It is a richly layered and brilliant film that is both darkly hilarious and tragic at the same time. Frankly it is a masterpiece, and will certainly be one to watch for in the Best Picture race! This is a gut-punch of a comedic drama like only McDonagh can make it – expertly toeing the line between laugh out loud funny and heart-wrenching melancholy. I laughed throughout the film, and yet it struck me so hard emotionally by the end, leaving me with a lot to think about and ponder. The film is a finely-crafted feel-bad treat, and the more I think about it, the more I love it!
This is easily one of the most remarkable films this year, and yet it may be one of the more small and subtle premises of any film in 2022. I loved how simple the premise was; it is really refreshing to see a film do so much with such a subtle and human premise. The film essentially follows a “break-up” between two friends, as we see how far one is willing to go to fight for their friendship, and conversely how far the other will go to block him out of his life. By the end of the film we really come to understand each character’s point of view, and the reasoning behind their occasionally extreme actions. Brendan Gleeson’s character, Colm, has motivations that I found quite interesting – especially because we can fully see where he is coming from, but also see the pettiness behind it. Without giving away too much, I loved how it touched on feelings of running out of time in life, and picking exactly how you wish to spend your remaining time, as we all only have a limited amount. The thematic writing in this film was especially strong, McDonagh excellently explores themes of fate, friendship, loneliness, life and death. All these themes are touched on, and what I found most interesting was that in a way each character represented one of these themes in one way or another.
This film is very thought provoking, but it doesn’t always have the easiest answers. It challenges the viewer to think about the content of the film on deeper levels. And yet… it really cannot be overstated how hilarious this movie is! If one describes the film as only a dark comedy that is concerned with loneliness and existentialism, one would be painting a different portrait of the film, because this movie has big laughs throughout! It is very funny and has such clever, well-crafted jokes. McDonagh is a master of this type of dry humour and wit, and really knows how to play the audience. The editing also really helps, as the editor has a strong understanding of comedic timing, knowing exactly how to cut and time the jokes. Every single joke and funny moment landed perfectly, I was dying laughing at times! While it is quite funny, it does also make you feel sad at times too, as overall it does tell a story about the loss of friendship between two men. The tone is a dramedy, as funny as it is don’t expect this to be a slapstick comedy flick, and McDonagh balances the two tones extremely well. One scene you could be bursting with laughter, and the next you are deeply emotional and very resonant to what is going on. It never compromised either tone, instead letting the comedy build on the emotional scenes and the emotional scenes build on the comedy. It was just this perfect balance you rarely see in film; something I love about McDonagh’s filmmaking style!
One of the most outstanding aspects of this film is the incredible acting on display. The film is a fantastic “In Bruges” reunion, reconnecting stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson with McDonagh, as well as adding in some great talent in the form of Kelly Condon and Barry Keoghan. This could easily be Colin Farrell’s best performance to date – and he has given us a lot of good performances over the years! This one, however, is pitch perfect. He’s hilarious in it, especially as his character is almost never aware of how he is being funny, instead is very hurt and offended at the things we are laughing at. He is a master of comedic timing, nailing every comedic moment his character gets. There's a lot of face comedy in his performance as well which was wonderful, Farrell is very good at acting only with facial expressions – even his stares communicate so much. It is a very subtle and nuanced performance, I could see a best actor nomination coming out of this! I really loved his character, Pádraic, and how his identity was so rooted in how nice he is (even if he is intentionally a bit dull). He has quite the fascinating shift in how he sees himself and his life as the film went on. I really loved this performance and character. Brendan Gleeson was also perfect for his role and so good here. He doesn’t have as much to do as Colin does, but it is so great seeing his character’s gruff persona bumping up against Colin’s nice guy persona. Gleeson really embodied his character, delivering a performance that felt very lived in and natural. Kerry Condon was also fantastic, and had some phenomenal moments that really stand out. I loved Barry Keoghan too, he was hysterical playing the town idiot, and somehow fit the role perfectly!
I loved the setting of the island off the coast of Ireland! The location really felt like a character in the film, as the setting informs how the characters make their choices and who they are as people. It actually informed a lot of the comedy too! Plus… the landscapes look stunning! The cinematography is outstanding, not just in the way they gorgeously capture the Irish hillsides (which have some natural beauty), but even the interiors were shot beautifully too. It felt like they were shooting with lanterns and natural light. I loved that they let the setting be filled with darkness, which made it feel more authentic. The use of focus pulling was also quite excellent here too, especially when it came to using this to only show silhouettes in the background. I didn’t expect such lush cinematography from a comedy! It found it quite interesting how shots/setups would mirror themselves throughout the film based on the current state of the relationship, for example you would see one shot with Gleeson sitting outside and Farrell inside, and then 45 minutes later the same shot but reversed. McDonagh’s visuals have never been better! I also really thought Carter Burwell’s score was quite fitting for the film!
The standouts here really are the writing, directing and acting, but overall this film is so well-made in every area of production. It may not be my personal favourite of McDonagh’s, but it is one of his strongest directorial efforts to date. It’s essentially flawless in my mind, there is not much to criticize at all. While it is a very unorthodox film and has a very small scale plot, it is a must see for this year and is a top contender for the Oscars! Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are excellent here, proving that whenever they work with Martin McDonagh the result will be perfection! This is one of my favourites of the year, I loved it! Who doesn’t want to laugh about heartbreak?
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IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
RT Audience Score: 82%
Metacritic Score: 87
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Searchlight Pictures
Written & Directed by Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Runtime: 1hr 49min
Rating: 14A
Comedy, Drama
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Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
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Fun Fact: This movie reunites director Martin McDonagh with stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for the first time since In Bruges (2008).
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