If you enjoyed โln Bruges,โ youโll almost certainly love Gleeson and Farrell (once again) in The Banshees of Inisherin. This time weโre on a fictional Irish island in 1923, with civil war in the background and, as it turns out, in the foreground too. Gleesonโs character (Colm) decides he no longer wants anything to do with Padraic (Farrellโs character). The reasons turn out to be less about personality and more about philosophy. Colm is fearful of wasting what time is left to him. He sees Padraic as โa limited manโ - the kind of friend who would spend two hours telling him what he had found in his little donkeyโs excrement the previous day. Colm, deeply aware of his mortality, has become weary of this and wants to compose tunes on his fiddle and leave a legacy of creativity.
In the end, this is a tragic tale about time and how we redeem it. If time matters to you, youโll be captivated by the stunning landscapes, haunting music, hilarious dialogue, and above all by the filmโs exploration of what really lasts in life - our music, our poetry, our paintings (Colm), or the simple fact that we were nice to people and animals (Padraic).
Some will no doubt make quick comparisons between Colm and Padraic on the one (maimed) hand, and Father Ted and Father Dougal on the other. But this is much harsher. Itโs comedy with a kick as shocking as potcheen and humour as bruising as a donkeyโs heels. Although I will say this: I thank the good Lord that the Border Collie survived all the chaos!