Director Martin McDonagh’s story takes its own sweet time to develop. Given that The Banshees of Inisherin is a story of people who lead a similarly laidback life, the film’s approach towards friendship and life makes it one of the best tragicomedies ever—even for those brought up on a steady dose of friendship films.
The core idea is: What would you do if your best friend decides to end the friendship? McDonagh takes this elementary knot, places it at the end of the Irish Civil War, improves on it with top-notch performances from its cast—especially Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson—and spices it all up with dark humour, resulting in one of the best films of the year.
After the filmmaker’s collaboration with Farrell and Gleeson in 2008’s hit black comedy, In Bruges, the trio returns this time to set camp at the fictional Irish town of Insherin. With the already-proven chemistry between the two main characters, the break in friendship hits us and that’s without even considering how it’s all a metaphor for the civil war.
While the screenplay is designed for the viewer to feel pity for Pádraic Súilleabháin (Farrell) and disdain for Colm Doherty (Gleeson) for his decision, as the film progresses, their actions make one feel differently. Folk musician Colm abruptly begins ignoring his dear mate Pádraic as he finds his pal’s mind to be dull and inhibitive of his own creative thinking.
Colm believes in the timelessness of art while Pádraic believes in living in the moment. Fascinatingly, a shift in dynamics causes Pádraic’s own life to get destabilised.
If McDonagh demonstrated how he could make a crime drama around broken relationships in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this time, he has proved once again how he can even milk humour out of the obscure.
What also works in favour of the film is how the secondary characters—Pádraic’s sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and the village simpleton Dominic (Barry Keoghan)—get their own arcs. On the surface, the film may feel like a simple black comedy with a few laugh-out-loud moments, but deep inside, The Banshees of Inisherin brings up a philosophical debate about friendship, the meaning of life, and whether we care to be remembered after our time.
While we search for those answers outside and within us, it’s safe to say that this film will definitely be remembered for a long time.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Director: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Platform: Hotstar
Language: English
Star rating: 4/5