‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ Review: Martin McDonagh at his very best
The Banshees of Inisherin, a UK/US/Ireland collaboration, is the film reunion to end all film reunions. It brings writer/director Martin McDonagh back together with his In Bruges co-stars, Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. The category ‘comedy/drama’ doesn’t do it justice; it is one of the darkest comedies, or one of the funniest tragedies, in recent movie history. The film tells the story of a minor personal conflict that gradually escalates into something absurdly catastrophic, eventually impacting the principals in the feud and everyone around them.
The film is set on a small Irish island in 1923. Gleeson and Farrell play Colm and Padraic, two ageing bachelors who have been friends for many years, following a familiar routine of afternoon visits to the pub and friendly but inconsequential chats. This ends abruptly when Colm announces that he no longer wants to spend time with Padraic. In shock and disbelief, Padraic protests, argues and tries every method he can think of to change Colm’s mind. Their disagreement expands from arguments to ultimatums to actual violence, each act leading to a more extreme response.
The humour flows endlessly, even at unexpected times and situations. Every feature of the town is a source of irony, absurdity, or whimsy – most particularly the sharp banter between Padraic and his much cleverer sister, Siobhan (television and film star Kerry Condon), and among the island’s key figures: pub owner, priest, village idiot, policeman.
There is also the intriguing presence of an eccentric, irritating neighbour (Sheila Flitton) who appears to serve as an unacknowledged soothsayer. The two leads are well matched as ever; Gleeson’s character Colm is acerbic, distant, and a bit melancholy, while in contrast, Farrell’s Padraic is naive and open; an odd couple as friends, they unexpectedly bring out the worst in one another as enemies. Meanwhile, Siobhan serves as the stabilising, and usually mocking voice of reason, whenever anyone is willing to hear it.
As the feud between Colm and Padraic intensifies and spirals grotesquely out of control, the dialogue becomes more darkly funny, almost to the bitter end. The conflict is paralleled by occasional explosions from the mainland, where the more literal civil war is raging; while the beautifully filmed pastoral landscape serves, at first, as peaceful background; but as the battle continues, it becomes an ironic contrast to the darker side of human nature – as managed by eminent cinematographer Ben Davis.
The two men’s dispute begins to infect life on the island, disrupt the normal flow of events, and cause some residents to flee. The soothsayer even begins to subtly reveal her true nature, as the final act gives a hyperbolic account of the feud’s end game and its results to the community, all portrayed in a manner as quirky and distinctive as the rest of the film.
The combination of an insightful black comedy script by the Academy Award-winning Martin McDonagh, with a winning combination of three lead actors and an excellent supporting cast, results in one of the funniest and most consistently entertaining films this year. Following screenings at a long series of film festivals, The Banshees of Inisherin will begin theatrical release worldwide on 21st October.