Photo Courtesy of HBO
Costumes: 8/10
Sets: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.9/10
Special Effects: n/a
Character development: 10/10
Set off the coast of west Ireland in 1923, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, tells the story of two lifelong friends, Pádriac played by Colin Farrel and Colm, played by Barry Keoghan, as one abruptly ends the relationship, creating distressing consequences for each. Written and directed by Mathew McDonagh, the comedic drama scored an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and with a budget of 20 million dollars, the film has grossed over 45 million dollars in the box office.
This movie left me completely speechless. I thought it was going to be a boring and slow film with funny Irish accents, but it was quite the opposite. The acting and the emotions that Colin Farrel and Barry Keoghan brought to their characters truly made this film riveting and captivating, I had tears in my eyes- both happy and sad. I can only describe the writing as hilariously depressing. At the start, the plot gets straight to the point with no “fluff” in the build up to the dilemma of the movie. Not only is the writing comical and clever, but the way the actors delivered the lines added a new depth to the script. I actually laughed out loud when Pádriac said to Colm, “Are you dying?” “No, I’m not dying.” “Then you have loads of time.” Unlike other Oscar nominated films for Best Picture, I think that “The Banshees of Inisherin” truly followed through with the storyline as it built on themes of having a self fulfilling life, loneliness, and self punishment. In addition, the character developments of both Pádriac, Colm, and Siobhán were very clear and you could see the progression of the characters throughout the film.
In addition to the writing and acting, I thought the use of the real and lucious landscapes of Ireland added a new dimension to the cinematography. The greens, blues and yellows of the grass and sea were in stark contrast to the reds, browns, and black color of the clothing worn by the characters. The framing of different scenes were very powerful and played a role in the meaning of a seemingless scene or action. Using shadows, for example, showed Colms’ new mutilated hand and how he and others now viewed him. Though there was some music, it was powerful when you could only hear natural sounds, like the waves crashing or the grass blowing in the wind as it had the effect of transporting you to the little Irish coastal town. The minimalistic set choices also brought out the importance of sound and framing.
However, though I think that the film portrayed the time period appropriately, it was mentioned that it took place during World War 1, which I believe was not important to the storyline. While watching, I was expecting the war to have an impact on the town and its people, but it seemed to just be setting the tone of the film. In addition, we only see the film through the eyes of Pádriac, and I think that it would have been interesting to view the broken friendship through the lens of Colm. In comparison to “Triangle of Sadness”, directed by Ruben Östlund, this film does not use friendship as an example to show a larger message about a group of people and their relationships. I think that it would have been compelling to see if the writers could have used it to show a broader meaning or purpose.
I think that Colin Farrel has an opportunity to win Best Actor in a Leading Role as well as Brendan Glesson to win Best Actor in a Supporting Role. I think that Kerry Condon could also win Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, the film has a good chance of winning Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). In all, this movie was not what I expected it to be in the best way possible.
Cinematography: 9.9/10
Costumes: 8/10
Sets: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.9/10
Special Effects: n/a
Character development: 10/10
Set off the coast of west Ireland in 1923, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, tells the story of two lifelong friends, Pádriac played by Colin Farrel and Colm, played by Barry Keoghan, as one abruptly ends the relationship, creating distressing consequences for each. Written and directed by Mathew McDonagh, the comedic drama scored an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and with a budget of 20 million dollars, the film has grossed over 45 million dollars in the box office.
This movie left me completely speechless. I thought it was going to be a boring and slow film with funny Irish accents, but it was quite the opposite. The acting and the emotions that Colin Farrel and Barry Keoghan brought to their characters truly made this film riveting and captivating, I had tears in my eyes- both happy and sad. I can only describe the writing as hilariously depressing. At the start, the plot gets straight to the point with no “fluff” in the build up to the dilemma of the movie. Not only is the writing comical and clever, but the way the actors delivered the lines added a new depth to the script. I actually laughed out loud when Pádriac said to Colm, “Are you dying?” “No, I’m not dying.” “Then you have loads of time.” Unlike other Oscar nominated films for Best Picture, I think that “The Banshees of Inisherin” truly followed through with the storyline as it built on themes of having a self fulfilling life, loneliness, and self punishment. In addition, the character developments of both Pádriac, Colm, and Siobhán were very clear and you could see the progression of the characters throughout the film.
In addition to the writing and acting, I thought the use of the real and lucious landscapes of Ireland added a new dimension to the cinematography. The greens, blues and yellows of the grass and sea were in stark contrast to the reds, browns, and black color of the clothing worn by the characters. The framing of different scenes were very powerful and played a role in the meaning of a seemingless scene or action. Using shadows, for example, showed Colms’ new mutilated hand and how he and others now viewed him. Though there was some music, it was powerful when you could only hear natural sounds, like the waves crashing or the grass blowing in the wind as it had the effect of transporting you to the little Irish coastal town. The minimalistic set choices also brought out the importance of sound and framing.
However, though I think that the film portrayed the time period appropriately, it was mentioned that it took place during World War 1, which I believe was not important to the storyline. While watching, I was expecting the war to have an impact on the town and its people, but it seemed to just be setting the tone of the film. In addition, we only see the film through the eyes of Pádriac, and I think that it would have been interesting to view the broken friendship through the lens of Colm. In comparison to “Triangle of Sadness”, directed by Ruben Östlund, this film does not use friendship as an example to show a larger message about a group of people and their relationships. I think that it would have been compelling to see if the writers could have used it to show a broader meaning or purpose.
I think that Colin Farrel has an opportunity to win Best Actor in a Leading Role as well as Brendan Glesson to win Best Actor in a Supporting Role. I think that Kerry Condon could also win Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, the film has a good chance of winning Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). In all, this movie was not what I expected it to be in the best way possible.
