Film Review: "The Banshees of Inisherin"
CARLOS ALVAREZ | Dec. 13, 2022 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Amid so many great heavy hitting films being released in Jacksonville in the past few weeks, “The Banshees of Inisherin” might just be my favorite of the bunch. Though fitting into the patterns of the other bleak early awards season releases, the sheer amount of intention in the story that director Martin McDonagh is telling is admirable and puzzling all the same.
Perhaps the most quizzical aspect of the film lies within the line it tows between drama and comedy. Much of the film contains some of the funniest bits I have seen in a movie all year, but the undertones of fear and monotony dig deep in a way that cannot be ignored even when Barry Keoghan’s brilliant and humorous supporting role steals the spotlight. Following Colin Farrell’s protagonist Pádraic, the film navigates the deterioration of his relationship with his closest friend Colm, played by Brendan Gleeson, and the sudden shift in their dynamic as Colm decides that he simply does not like Pádraic anymore. The concept is amusing and the initial speculation of why he has come to this conclusion makes for a very entertaining and retrospectively tragic opening. But beyond how Pádraic makes efforts to assess what has gone wrong, the levity feels rather light for the weight the film’s subtext holds.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is ultimately a film about mortality and the fear of limited time. Colm is a fiddler and his aspirations to become one of the remembered greats is the bane of his friendship with Pádraic. Gleeson’s portrayal of this stoicism is brilliantly acted with a playful sense of misdirection that adds salt to the wound at the heart of the film’s conflict. Opposingly, Farrell’s performance opposite this dilemma is every bit as crushing as it is laughable, and its brilliance lies in the subtleties of his small yet content life. Unlike Colm, Pádraic is no artist and instead lives his quotidian routine taking care of his animals. The juxtaposition of these lifestyles could beg the question of how their friendship operated before this schism, though the shock of the townspeople implies that it was rather intense. When the ideas that both hold can no longer coexist, the consistently brutal interactions between them offer up the question “how important is kindness if it won’t be remembered?”
The tailspin this sends Pádraic into is gut wrenching to witness as the meaning of his entire life’s work and relationships come into question. Is he really that dull? McDonagh strikes the audience with this question at the point during which their emotional guard is down the most and the progression of this question only becomes more severe. The town’s response furthers the tragedy of his epiphany as his worst fears are affirmed wholeheartedly in their enthusiastic dismissal of his significance. In that position, Colm and Pádraic are the same; both are searching for meaning in a place where it feels scarce. Everyone seems to leave Inisherin, and with that the capacity to find meaning in life with those who remain there is dwindling. Very similar to the titular banshees of Inisherin that do not actually exist there, little to no purpose is found in either of their work. So much of their time is spent enjoying each other’s company that there is no sign of the meaning to be found in what each day brings them.
By the end of the heart wrenching 114 minutes, there is little clarity regarding what was achieved. As Colm’s work seems largely in vain and does not ultimately provide benefit for his legacy, his psychological game is called into questioning. This inquisition is bound to elicit different results for many audience members. The merit of the simple kindness in question is scoffed at for so much of the film, but by the end, the gleeful heedlessness of Pádraic’s daily routine is a comforting idea. The film’s background set during the Irish civil war serves further parallelism to the eventual pointless struggle between success and goodwill. By a certain point, the film’s latent content opts for the backseat as this overarching historical subtext to take the wheel.
The harrowing experience of the film is further elucidated by the imagery of Ben Davis’ cinematography. While simple and not utilizing any elaborate technique to my memory, the power of his composition is almost entirely in the beauty of frames he crafts. There is certainly an argument to be made that the film lacks visual distinction but I would argue the prioritization of the thematic beats over a memorable flare in framing was the right choice and does not detract from the film’s impact. The island of Inisherin is stunning and the ways every character is placed in relativity to it never ceases to amaze. The dimly lit pubs and wide beaches visually stimulate a sense of vastness and scale compared to the somewhat menial tasks that both ex-friends are coming to terms with.
While “The Banshees of Inisherin” is very slow and chips away at themes that are overtly existential, I feel extremely compelled to recommend it to anyone in the mood to go to the theater simply for how commanding its questioning of kindness and purpose is posed.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is now streaming on HBO max.