SiftPop

by Robert Bouffard, Editor

Martin McDonagh always brings thoughtfulness, dark comedy, complex characters, and narrative layers to his films. Two out of his first three worked (In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths), and one fell flat (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). For me, a strong admirer of his better efforts, it’s with great happiness that I can say The Banshees of Inisherin falls firmly into the first category. Bringing back the twosome of Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell from In Bruges, McDonagh crafts a darkly hilarious and moving tale about former best friends breaking up.

Set on the small, fictitious island of Inisherin, Ireland during the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, which lasted for 11 months from 1922 until 1923, Colm (Gleeson) tells Pádraic (Farrell) that he no longer wants to be friends because Pádraic is simply too dull. Colm, with what he guesses to be his 12 remaining years of life, wants to spend more time writing music for his fiddle and creating art, and less time drinking and chatting at the local pub at 2 p.m. He feels so strongly about this, in fact, that he says each time Pádraic talks to him, he’ll take his shears and cut off one of his fiddle-playing fingers.

Unfortunately for our main character, Pádraic, he probably is as dull as Colm and the rest of the small population of Inisherin thinks he is. Time after time, and despite the pleas of his sister, Siobhan (Kerry Condon), he continues to press the issue with Colm, which only heightens the tension. For the life of him, Pádraic can’t figure why Colm wouldn’t want to be friends anymore. Meanwhile, Colm grows increasingly exasperated at Pádraic’s repeated attempts to mend a friendship that can never be fixed. 

The story is told from Pádraic’s point of view, but we get enough of both characters’ mindsets for there to be questions of who is in the right, if anyone. This central question is what makes the movie sing, even if the song is a somber one. The film’s ultimate answer to the question will leave you will a hollow pit in your stomach, but that’s kind of what you sign up for when you go into a McDonagh movie. McDonagh has a crystal clear worldview that shines through in each one of his films. It’s one of a lack of faith in humanity and in God, but one of belief in singular humans. He sees brokenness within each singular person, but also a chance to be put back together. In a way, it’s comforting. But despite the consistent and uproarious laughs that Banshees delivers, that hollow pit is what ultimately leaves the biggest impression. Because whether people take that chance to be put back together is another discussion entirely.

Where Banshees is light on overall story — it’s a lot of scenes of talking at the pub, Pádraic and Siobhan’s house, and Colm’s house — it makes up for it in character depth. Pádraic is the obvious one, because while he may be dull, he’s also “nice,” as he puts it. And in the case of this film, it’s an admirable characteristic. And his inherent niceness manifests itself in increasingly complex ways. Pádraic is so nice that his new best friend is a donkey, which serves as an effective motif for some of the film’s more interesting ideas. Colm, on the other hand, is a somber, even depressed man, and how his little ultimatum plays out is heartbreaking in a lot of ways. It of course takes its toll on his stubborn self and his fiddle playing, but whether his commitment to the bit is admirable or downright idiotic is up to the viewer to decide.

And it’s not just these two who are complex. Siobhan is probably McDonagh’s best written female character to date — her love for her brother contrasted with her desire for a life off Inisherin allows the film to explore nuanced ideas of responsibility and meaning in life. Barry Keoghan also gives a scene-stealing performance as Dominic, who is what Forrest Gump’s football coach would call the local idiot. He may be dull in his own right, but between his police officer father’s abuse and his earnest quest for love and genuine connection, you can’t help but be drawn to the rough-around-the-edges Dominic.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a quintessential McDonagh film. It’s very Irish, it’s a morality tale that can be looked at literally or metaphorically, it has nonstop dark humor, and it grapples with some of life’s toughest questions. Buttressed by a score from Carter Burwell that combines the mystical aura of Daniel Hart’s score for The Green Knight and Burwell’s own score that evokes a building sense of dread from A Serious Man, Banshees won’t be quick to leave your mind.

Score: 9/10

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