The Banshees of Inisherin

Though I expected a more interesting and more powerful ending, The Banshees of Inisherin is still a great study of unconventional characters with an unconventional conflict in an unconventional, heavily atmospheric setting. The film is playfully tragicomic and unpredictable, as action and reaction are determined by two incompatible villagers from the end of the Earth who are passively squandering their lives. The first half is masterfully written and directed. However, the actual question of how their problem will be resolved in the first half is more entertaining than its resolution in the second half. Colin Farrell is again excellent and Carter Burwell (the Coen brothers’ court composer) is great, as is the setting, which is itself an important character in the film. (19.01.2023)

A pleasant, cruel conversational movie about the fact that sometimes you can simply hate your neighbour for no apparent reason. There isn’t anything especially deep about it; it’s just a pleasantly thick stout with white foam in the form of a great central duo and a setting that’s as hearty as its inhabitants. (14.01.2023)

The (un)official final part of the free trilogy from the Aran Islands. Of McDonagh’s works, this the closest to his theatre roots, which is a problem. McDonagh is a better writer than director and a better playwright than screenwriter, and as a film director, he tries to hide the distinct theatricality of the script, which is a mistake, it would be better if he accepted it for what it is. It is a minor detail, but coupled with the fact that it's not the best part of the trilogy, which also as a whole is overshadowed by the Leenan trilogy, means that The Bahsees of Inisherin feels like a tiny step backwards for McDonagh as a writer and as a director. Since his film debut, I've wanted him to be closer to his roots in style and substance, and this confirms the proverbial "be careful what you wish for, it might come true". But does any of this mean it's not excellent or perhaps superbly acted? Not at all. (08.02.2023)

McDonagh hasn't made a bad movie yet. He's a whiz at turning even an uninteresting premise into an ambitious work that will storm the Oscars. I was honestly worried, as this is his most intimate film without violence, but he still managed to win me over. We get the most out of the actors here! Colin Farrell – clear Oscar, Barry Keoghan – second Oscar. The landscape of the Irish countryside is amazing (I enjoyed the rough Irish slang too), it's just close to my heart and that can impress me. What's great though is the insanely bizarre black and bitter humour, I laughed really loud a few times and some of the lines are brutal, and that's what makes it just so great. “Wasn't it so much easier when we was all on the same side, and it was just the English we was killin'?” Good film. 80%. (21.12.2022)

A tale about a man who has decided to make a drastic change in his life, entirely inspired by Irish folklore. The more he talks about it, the less he actually pursues it, and his behavior not only makes less and less sense over time, but also begins hurting the people around him. Martin McDonagh usually amuses me with how cleverly he torments his characters and the audience, but this time he crossed the line of likeability towards mere exhibitionism. Despite being one of Colin Farrell's outstanding performances, most of the time it's all just form without any substantial content. The third star is for the heart-wrenching scenery and the rising star of Barry Keoghan, but otherwise it's a surprising disappointment and a creative warning. (12.03.2023)

The Banshees of Inisherin begins as a tale of inflated ego, but grows into an otherworldly tale of kindness and vanity. Farrell and Gleeson excel again under the direction of McDonagh. The superb dialogue, the search for the reason for it all and the very slowly escalating conflict are absorbing and, apart from a minor slower passage in the middle, it is an excellent piece of work. Burwell's minimalist music fits beautifully. (18.12.2022)

A perfect portrayal of that strange human behaviour, when a person does something that those around them don't understand, but at that moment it makes perfect sense to them. Martin McDonagh only needed another feature film with a polished script and sensational actors to say something others can't. And while there is no moment as powerful as Sam Rockwell's in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it's a great film to reflect on for a long time afterwards – not because you want to understand it, but because you just want to think about it. (13.02.2023)

I tell myself that this is exactly how every girl I try in all honesty to make contact with must feel: she'd rather cut off her fingers and throw them on my doorstep than answer me. McDonagh's once again wipes its ass with Hollywood clichés and serves up another searing relationship film about people separated from the "norm" of civilization, alternating funny and bizarre scenes with tragic ones in a balanced rhythm. It is about the boundless loneliness of those people who have chosen such a life for themselves, as well as those who are in it involuntarily, a morally pure and naive versus skeptical view of the world. And the fact that sooner or later they'll converge. There was no twist that grounded me this time, and the character of the old fortune teller seemed a bit unnecessary, but I will definitely be thinking about this film for some time. Only I don't know yet if it's because of the overall message, or just because of some scenes and the performances. (17.12.2022)

A completely unconventional film about friendship that begins with the fact that the friendship suddenly ends unilaterally. Of playwright Martin McDonagh's films to date, The Banshees of Inisherin is by far the most intimate and reminiscent of a stage play, so don't expect any dynamic action. The alternation of humour (often very black) and depressing themes has always been a strength of this British screenwriter and director, but this is a roller coaster of contradictory emotions that, despite the numerous bursts of laughter at the end, will leave you totally depressed. The performances of all involved are superb, especially Colin Farrell's incredible portrayal of the guileless and headstrong Irish misfit. (05.10.2022)

Man is a social creature! However, this does not preclude the possibility that he may at times become overwhelmed by someone's company and therefore, at his own discretion, fair or not, decide not to continue to waste his time with that person. At first glance, this sounds like a simple theme from everyday life, but Martin McDonagh took it in his own distinctive way and served us a powerful story that will entertain the viewer from the heart with its immediacy, only to give them an unpleasant chill down their spine and a bittersweet taste in their mouth in the next moment. Friendship may be eternal, but it certainly should not be taken for granted. The Banshees of Inisherin wouldn't be so effective and precise, though, if it weren't for the excellent cast (with excellent local English), whether it was the endearingly tough Colin Farrell, the chillingly stubborn Brendan Gleeson, the (un)happily goofy Barry Keoghan, or the caring Kerry Condon (all the acting Oscar nominations are spot on here). Last but not least, the unmistakable soundtrack deserves praise, perfectly underlining the beauty, but also the bleakness of the remote island where the banshees still announce an approaching death with their wailing. P.S. "I am not putting my donkey outside when I'm sad, okay?" (30.01.2023)

Martin McDonagh has created an extremely distinctive screenplay, tinged with quirky humor, for which I would give him an Oscar in a heartbeat. Even if he doesn't get it, one of the top spots in my list of screenwriters is now secure. I don't think I've ever seen such a powerful, deeply human and touchingly intimate story about friendship, the desire to belong, aging and loneliness, and I've seen quite a few movies. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful island off the west coast of Ireland, where the whole story takes place. However, my fascination with the moving drama of The Banshees of Inisherin is far from over. The music is also wonderful, provided by Carter Burwell. However, it would be no exaggeration to say that the main asset of this movie are the great performances of most of the actors involved, mainly Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. (100%) (17.02.2023)

This tragicomic tale of the end of a friendship is set in the early twentieth century, in the beautiful wild Irish countryside, in a small village where people have simple lives and spend most of their days in the local pub. But one day Colm no longer wants to be friends with Padraic. As humans, we are obsessed with the question WHY? Why do two people stop liking each other, why do they stop understanding each other, why do they start hating each other? Does there always have to be a specific reason for this? Colm reaches a stage in his life where he simply doesn't want to waste his precious time chatting shallowly with a man who doesn't enrich him in any way and whom he finds boring and crude. And Padraic takes it hard, he actually wants to keep fighting for his friendship, which leads them to completely unpredictable events. At first, their conflict seems a bit ridiculous, like the bickering of two twelve-year-old boys, but it gradually turns into a heated exchange of opinions and harsh reckoning. The narrative has a very intimate, theatrical feel and is accompanied by Carter Burwell's atmospheric and haunting music. This is a very entertaining reunion of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in front of the camera, it made me very happy. (13.03.2023)