Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges is my most favorite works of his — the theme, the way a place like Bruges was chosen for that theme and how the architecture and atmosphere blended so well to represent a concept like purgatory; the tonality; the journey of the central character, and well, every other characterization. The Banshees of Inisherin is like an amazing spiritual sequel to In Bruges in all these aspects. Even the actors are the same, with a similar kind of characterization — a distressed Colin Farell and Brendan Gleeson who is a source of the distress. Surely, In Bruges along with this is an excellent double feature.
Another chapter from the tales of McDonagh, and this time with a folkloric vibe. Very similar to Coen Brothers that way, in giving stories with similar themes but in different setups, and also, always exciting! I was thinking about Coen Brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, especially.
The feel is like smelling the pages of an old book, that’s hardbound, with no cover image and is something that your grandmother grew up reading. It is obviously an understatement that it totally transported me to that world.
Every supporting character is a poetic treat and their character studies could be standalone essays that runs for pages — Mrs.McCormick, the local elderly woman who is like a Banshee herself (McKarmic — couldn’t help myself fro), Mrs.Reardon who thrives on gossip, the men who are working at the cafe, the local guard, the priest, Jenny the miniature donkey.
I loved Barry Keoghan’s portrayal as the innocent and stupid Dominic who gets indirectly caught in the scheme of things. Feels like Farell-Keoghan duo is doing some kind of a mythological drama hopping with their filmography.
The tension and the violence that erupts out of a troubled friendship becomes a metaphorical connect to the Irish Civil War that is set in the backdrop. I find that angle quite interesting, like heated / hot and cold relationships between central characters reflecting the war. It becomes a war movie in that perspective — like another beautiful polish drama Cold War that features a turbulent romance drama set in the aftermath of second world war.
Cinema Paradesio 