If Colin Farrell doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin this year, he never will. That’s all I could think of after seeing his work in Martin McDonagh’s latest dark comedy.
And who would have thought that Farrell and Brendan Gleeson would become the perfect comedy duo of our day? I thought the couple’s magic in ‘In Bruges’ (2008) was a one-hit wonder, but with ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ the two men have recaptured their old alchemy.
The latest pitch-black hype from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri director-writer McDonagh taps into the simplest premise in recent history: a man trying to understand why his best friend doesn’t want to talk to him anymore. What unfolds within this premise are moral complexities and refreshing interpretations of love and forgiveness.
In over 25 years in Hollywood, Farrell has had his share of setbacks and resurgences, with his story akin to Robert Downey Jr.’s. He was a tabloid Icarus who has gone on to become one of our finest screen actors with a string of impressive performances in a variety of films. It’s time to give him his share. Just look at the year he had. In addition to his work in The Banshees of Inisherin, the Irish heartthrob disappeared under piles of prosthetic limbs as the penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, then portrayed a heroic cave diver who risked everything to save captive children in Ron Howard’s Thirteen save lives.” If there is justice, all of these efforts will result in Farrell’s first Oscar nomination. It’s about time.
Gleeson is a valued and widely respected actor with over four decades of experience in the business. His dry wit and psychologically thoughtful twist might be enough to earn him his first name. There’s a Masters Class exchange between Farrell and Gleeson that made me subscribe to the theory that Gleeson could very well be this season’s Jim Broadbent. It’s a nod to the veteran character actor’s victory in Iris (2001) after a lifetime of memorable and largely overlooked twists and turns.
Gleeson is likely to run for best supporting actor, although he’s actually the co-lead with Farrell.
And mark that, international actress Kerry Condon has arrived. Playing the gutter-mouth sister, she cuts and rolls in key scenes that are sure to make her a force to be reckoned with in the supporting actress race this season.
Barry Keoghan has been quietly climbing the charts of exciting actors. He may be known to the general public as the Joker from Eternals (2021) or his one-scene cameo in The Batman. But for those of us who describe ourselves as “Day Ones” with Keoghan, “Dunkirk” and “The Killing of Sacred Deer,” we were excited for whatever he offered. “Banshees” confirms his promise and your heart will swoon in a beautiful waterfront exchange between him and Condon that has him plotting a possible future together. But Gleeson seems like a safe bet and Keoghan’s minimal screen time will be his biggest challenge.
It’s not clear what “Banshees” can muster in the technical races. If he’s popular, he has a chance in categories like cinematography, with its sweeping landscapes, editing, and Carter Burwell’s gritty score.
“Banshees” has one thing to offer. There are many depressing movies and movies with spiked running times. McDonagh’s film runs under two hours and doesn’t hold back a chuckle.
It’s worth nothing that McDonagh, once the theater scene’s enfant terrible, is now settled into a slightly more subdued middle age that isn’t for everyone. Even “Three Billboards” met a mixed reception, with some critics denouncing its violence and vigilantism. “Banshees” will inspire many more hot takes. But here’s a hot take: That kind of passionate debate isn’t always a bad thing.