Venice 2022: The Banshees of Inisherin
VENICE / SEARCHLIGHT PICTURESDo people want to be remembered for how nice they were, or do they want to leave a long-lasting legacy that is much more impactful than simply being well-loved? According to Padraic (Colin Farrell), nothing is more important than enjoying life one day at a time, following a routine of going to the pub at 2pm and having a good chat with his mates. However, his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) feels differently, and he decides to end their friendship to focus on his musical ambitions.
The Banshees of Inisherin sees the reunion of the In Bruges duo with its writer-director, Martin McDonagh, in what is one of the most consistently great films to come out of this year’s Venice Film Festival. McDonagh crafts a new tragicomedy that is far less offensive and funnier than his previous films, almost a reactionary response to controversial elements in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Padraic is a lovable doofus, a simple man with no ambitions, and a big love for his friend. His constant attempts at getting Colm to say why he does not want to be friends anymore are often amusing, but the lingering sadness and growing rage present in their confrontations create an aura of tension that keeps on boiling until it explodes. Friendships start and end seamlessly, in a less clean-cut way than some might think or hope for, which makes Padraic’s frustration and need for answers so deeply relatable. Farrell and Gleeson are expectedly great in these roles, the former as fast-talking and nervous as ever, the latter emanating a sense of peacefulness and seriousness. Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon round off the supporting cast, playing a dim-witted friend of Padraic and his older sister respectively, with both getting plenty of moments to shine with both comedy and drama.
The island of Inishmore is the backdrop to the dramedy, gorgeously shot by Ben Davis. It is a barren landscape, desolate and cold, with its folklore and past hinted at through the local music that is played at the pub. Composer Carter Burwell conducts a magical score, its fairy tale atmosphere carrying an aura of Shakespearian somberness despite all the laughs: the ominous presence of an elderly woman is very reminiscent of the witches from Macbeth, bringing doom and gloom into the hearts of the islanders. Fear and terror are also felt far off in the distance, on mainland Ireland, as the Irish civil war of the early 1920s was coming to a close. The conflict was a bloody and devastating one, that left the island split into two, not unlike the strained relationship between Padraic and Colm.
The Banshees of Inisherin is as good a dark comedy as they come nowadays. It is so good to see McDonagh back behind the camera after 5 years, his witty and hilarious dialogue bringing a bit of light amidst more self-serious dramas screening on Lido, while still managing to deliver some deeply thought-provoking questions on the nature of friendships, and whether working to create art that will never die is more important than enjoying the here and now.