Direction: Martin McDonagh
Country: Ireland / UK / USA
This funny, incisive blend of absurd dark comedy and period drama is sometimes uncomfortable to watch and somewhat cruel at the core. The Banshees of Inisherin was written and directed by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 2017), who elaborated a severe reflection on the human condition with depressing sadness and existential despair. On this account, he probed low-angle shots inspired by John Ford and Sergio Leone’s westerns.
The story takes place on the fictional island of Inisherin, a mix of the West coast Irish islands of Inishmore and Achill, where the film was shot with local support. Lifelong friends, Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), find themselves at an impasse when the latter decides to end their friendship in a precipitous way. Padraic doesn’t accept his decision and invariably attempts a reconnection. His insistence, however, impels his resolute former friend to take radical measures.
The escalation of violence goes hand in hand with the slow passing of time in this peculiar remote island pelted with boredom and pride. Each shot, magnified by the beauty of sumptuous virgin landscapes and natural settings, makes tempting to say that the film is a case of style over substance. Yet, a lot of essence is found in this stylish depiction of frustration, abandonment, and loneliness, while pertinently questioning our humanity.
Gleeson and Farrell, the same duo that starred in In Bruges (2008), shine in their extraordinary offbeat roles, heavily contributing to a beer-sipper of an entertainment that comes in the form of a borderline experience. Insensitively dark, peculiarly humorous and wildly depressing, The Banshees of Inisherin touches the puerile, the hilarious and the creepy.
