A Reel Review: THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

British/Irish filmmaker Martin McDonagh has been perfecting the character study in the last decade or so. From his dark comedy IN BRUGES (2008), to his awards-gobbling THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017). Here in 2022, he returns to Ireland for a deep character drama set against the backdrop of Irish history. 

 

During the Irish Civil War of 1923, on the fictional Isle of Inisherin, Padraic (Colin Farrell), is shocked and dismayed when his old friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson), suddenly doesn’t like him anymore…

 

Written and directed by McDonagh and filmed around various locations in Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN unfolds like a mystery, mostly seen through Padraic’s eyes as he tries to figure out why his friend will no longer speak to him. Both men are rock-solid in their resolve, with Padraic determined to figure it out and Colm threatening to chop off his fingers if Padraic even speaks to him. Even after Colm’s reasons are revealed, it only makes Padraic even more desperate to get his friend back. 

 

McDonagh is exploring themes of loyalty and friendship, but in a deeper sense he is using his two characters as a metaphor for the Irish Civil War. Like their country, they are one but fractured, with both having reasons for digging trenches and taking shots. As things progress, both men go to places that can’t be unseen or undone…just like any war. 

 

Shot in Ireland, the film can be described in many words: breathtaking, stunning, gorgeous…all of the above. Ireland’s country sides, coasts, and sunsets have never looked better…and the dark pubs and simple dwellings never more authentic. McDonagh gets into the daily lives of 1923 Ireland nicely, from raising livestock to selling cow’s milk to walking everywhere…the hard life is shown in reality and beauty. The script is witty, sharp, and funny, and the score by Carter Burwell is excellent. 

 

Also excellent is the cast. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who starred together in IN BRUGES, are full of fire and play against each other nicely. Kerry Condon appears as Padraic’s sister and is outstanding. Barry Keoghan nearly steals the show. 

 

Like many Irish stories, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN doesn’t quite end on a happy note. It leaves our two main characters wounded and perhaps forever at war even after a peace treaty is struck. McDonagh’s metaphor for a fractured Ireland is subtle enough where it sneaks up on us, and once it hits…it hits hard. This is McDonagh’s best work. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it