The Banshees of Inisherin

Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin deserves most of the acclaim that has come its way. I have certainly not seen a better acting ensemble in some time. The cast (including Colin Farrell, Brendon Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Gary Lydon and Sheila Flitton) all expertly milk the notes McDonagh has written for this dark Irish ballad.

What struck me was how seamless McDonagh has become as a filmmaker. The nearly two hour length of the movie flies by even though the drama is slow and deliberate. Part of this is due to the crisp editing. McDonagh does not linger after his characters say their lines, but quickly cuts to the response. This not only saves the film from falling into a torpor, but it stresses the estrangement of the characters in the film. Each character in The Banshees of Inisherin is an island, standing alone. 

My only criticism of the film is that it is overly schematic. Colin Farrell's Padraig is a Christian everyman. A bit doltish, but a good soul whose true communion is with the animals he tends. He is a good shepherd. Brendon Gleeson's Colm is the solitary artist who is more in touch with Ireland's pagan roots than its Christian fellowship. Notice the foreign masks, totems, and puppets that fill his cottage. McDonagh gives us a man who lives for the day versus a man who lives for eternity. What seems arbitrary is not the eventual estrangement of these characters, but the bond of friendship that formerly united them. This, however, is a quibble. Mr. McDonagh is one of the world's most talented playwrights and The Banshees of Inisherin once again confirms that his film work is of equally high caliber.