There’s something about loss or the mere prospecting of losing someone that makes humans behave in funny ways. It can make you erratic or somber or just plain crazy. Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) is no stranger to tales of humans behaving in erratic ways when presented with emotional hardships, but his latest film, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, is arguably his most fascinating exploration of that concept yet.
Starring a mini-“In Bruges” reunion of Colin Farrell (“Horrible Bosses,” “The Batman”) and Brendan Gleeson (“Paddington 2,” “Mr. Mercedes”) as Pádraic and Colm, respectively, it follows Pádraic struggling with the news that his lifelong drinking buddy and best friend Colm has decided he no longer wants to be friends with him and that, for every time he continues to try to speak to him, he’ll cut off one of his own fingers.
It’s certainly a bit of a dramatic leap, but the chemistry and banter between Farrell and Gleeson make it all work perfectly. Farrell plays Pádraic with a dullard innocence, the kind of character who’s so sweet and well-intentioned that you can’t help but pity him and hope it all goes well for him. Gleeson, meanwhile, is a big teddy bear of a man who just wants some peace and quiet. Both characters are so excellently performed and so well written by McDonagh, that you can’t help but want them both to get exactly what they want.
Rounding out the cast is Kerry Condon (“Better Call Saul,” “Dreamland”) as Pádraic’s sister Siobhán and Barry Keoghan (“The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Eternals”) as Dominic, the town’s requisite outcast/idiot. Condon is truly fantastic, she’s extremely charming and she and Farrell have a great sibling dynamic. She’s just a truly compelling character from every angle, and it’s a joy when she pops up opposite Farrell or Gleeson especially. Keoghan is also great, giving Dominic enough depth to avoid him becoming just another village idiot type. He's clearly a struggling boy, and he delivers a lot of heart and emotional energy hidden behind his oafish statements and clumsy social interactions.
If there’s anything that stands out the most here, it’s the emotional current running through the entire film. So often it feels like movies nowadays have so many hidden meanings or metaphors that it can risk losing the strength or honesty of the emotional arcs of the characters. And while there are surely metaphors and meanings in “Inisherin”, the emotional story of Pádraic and Colm is so palpable, so centered. It’s a rich tapestry of emotional filmmaking.
This is an exceptionally funny movie, with Gleeson and Farrell trading some really amusing barbs. But it’s not funny in a jokey sense. It’s the kind of honest dialogue that just feels like how real people talk to each other, especially people they’ve known their whole lives. The honesty of the humor also means that it never takes away from the depth and intensity of the themes of isolation, loneliness, and depression.
The cinematography from Ben Davis (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) also helps to frame this small Irish island in a very interesting way. It’s at once a vast land of greenery and cliffs, a wonderous land to live in. The film itself seems to acknowledge this with the first shot, with an almost comically bright rainbow behind Pádraic as he strolls through town, birds flying away behind him. But as things get more intense, this broad land ends up feeling far more claustrophobic and constricting, playing with the aforementioned themes, backed by Davis’s fantastic shots. Complimenting this is the great score from Carter Burwell (“The Big Lewbowski,” “A Goofy Movie”), which lends everything a light, almost fairy tale kind of musicality that quickly becomes sinister without ever really changing its tune.
McDonagh has crafted an exceptionally rich character drama that never sacrifices any of the weird bits of dark humor that comes from both a premise like this and just the naturalistic dialogue of real life. The entire cast is exceptional, and its shot and musicality is virtually perfect as well. This is truly one of the standout films of 2022, extremely engaging and dramatic without being overbearing or sacrificing lightness and life. 4.5/5
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