The Banshees Of Inisherin

Hippodrome Song Owl

I saw it this afternoon, and not fully sure how I feel about it tbh. I knew it would be dark, but that is an understatement of just how bleak it is. I feel bereft, filled with despair, sorrow, grief, and hopelessness after watching it.

I've actually never seen any of McDonagh's films before (or his brother's), but loved the Beauty Queen of Leenane.

I can see why people are making comparisons to The Field alright - I'm not a fan of that film, though the play is a masterpiece. But I don't feel The Field resonates personally with me at all. Although I can recognise it as an authentic portrayal of rural Ireland of its time (and sadly still relevant in many ways), it feels as alien to me as any Hollywood blockbuster. But this story really struck a chord, despite my modern urban experience.

Barry Keoghan's performance was really something special I think.

Brock Turnpike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119829916#Comment_119829916

I make of it that you made that whole post up.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119830100#Comment_119830100

It's closer to twenty pounds a go here. Disgusting when there's no effort at all spent on throwing out morons on their phones.

Thankfully, I got a free ticket with my bank and the film was actually really good.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119829885#Comment_119829885

It wasn't an opinion, though. Also, visiting a corner of the Internet where people are discussing a particular film just to inform them that you have no intention of seeing said film is a rather strange thing to do.

But if that's what you think "Boards is about" then have at it, I suppose.

nullObjects

If the whole thing had been just views of the island I still would have went to see it, some great shots.

Thought the actors all gave great performances in it, the dark humour with the fingers wasn't really my thing but overall thought it was a good movie.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119823761#Comment_119823761

Someone else made a comment that this post is strange, and in fairness, you have to agree. Do you go onto every topic on Boards that you have no interest in, and advise the readers that you have no interest in said topic. Do you spot the cricket forun adn proclim to the world that you have no interest in going to a cricket mqatch because it looks boring. Or a Westlife forum to advise us all that you won't be going to their gig, cause you don't like them. If not, then why tell us you won't be going to see a movie. Nobody cares if you don't. It's zero relevance anybody reading here. Instead of posting something strange and irrelevant, why not use that time to post something productive about what you have seen, and what your opinion is of that movie.

saabsaab

If there was a remake of 'The Field' I could see Brendan Gleeson getting the 'Bull McCabe' part.

rogber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119829923#Comment_119829923

Excellent comment. Why the critics love it I don't know. Sells a marketable version of Ireland - green and mystical - and the Irish - dim but nice?

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119834064#Comment_119834064

Nice? A few quare hawks in this movie.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119832112#Comment_119832112

Some great ideas for me going forward. Thanks.

thefallingman

great movie, I think it’s farrels best acting performance

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119833573#Comment_119833573

It would be very difficult to top Harris's performance in Sheridan's film.

But if there was a remake, I'd like it to stick closer to Keane's play than the 1990 version did.

Tony EH

@Hippodrome Song Owl

I saw it this afternoon, and not fully sure how I feel about it tbh. I knew it would be dark, but that is an understatement of just how bleak it is. I feel bereft, filled with despair, sorrow, grief, and hopelessness after watching it.

Maybe that was the point?

Isn't it nice to actually feel something after walking out of a film? As opposed to "well, I just saw that..."

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119836339#Comment_119836339

His performance was good but I feel he overacted it a bit?

Spon Farmer

A great movie with fantastic performances and a sad heartbreaking story is not at all what I was expecting.

Kerry Condon stole every scene she was in and Barry Keoghan finally played a role other than a same face slouching mumbler - and was great,

I had assumed at first that Peader had killed Jenny because the tongue was on the ground. Did she bite off her own tongue when choking on the finger or was not the tongue on the ground?

I don’t remember Dominic telling Pádraig that his father was molesting him. Is that just something Pádraig made up when he was drunk?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119845666#Comment_119845666

I didn't see her tongue on the ground? One of Colm's fingers was beside her and Padraig found another one in her mouth.

Dominic didn't tell Padraig about the abuse, Padraig either guessed or inferred it.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119845690#Comment_119845690

There was something else on the ground and I was sure it was a tongue.

You say ”guess” and “inferred” and that seems to suggest that you think the story was indeed saying that Peader was a molester? I was thinking that he made up in drunkenness and saying it was Pádraig a first step of into the badness that has him by the end of the film.

Banahees in the title made it obvious there would be death and when it was clear that Colm wasn’t terminally ill - which is what unthought it was going to be about - I thought that the various events were going to lead to Siobhan being killed.

Call me Al

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119829923#Comment_119829923

Plaudits?

Well indeed I'm sure such scathing language as this will cut McDonagh to the bone, as he has his staff polish his BAFTAs, Oscar and Golden Globes on the mantelpiece.

He seems to be doing rather well for a "Wetherspoons Beckett".

buried

Went to see this over the weekend and I have to say, even though I went in with not much hope, I thought it was a great piece of work. I don't rate a lot of McDonagh's work but this is the best film he's done for sure. The whole thing just fantastically deals with some of the darkest aspects of rural Ireland. It leads you along at the beginning with some lighthearted laughs on its surface, then the more you delve into the thing it drags you into the abyss of the undercurrent and the actual reality. Keoghan is brilliant in this, I mean really brilliant. The story is basically about his character really, he's the best of them and he's basically ostracized from the insular community and also abused by his father. I was also totally wrong about there being no portrayal of the bean sídhe in this work, although the trailer brilliantly leaves any hint of it out. The character of Mrs. McCormick is the bean sídhe, beckoning the victim they want into the lake, then later informing the family. Both traits of the other crowd.

Was a great watch and I was totally and pleasantly wrong in having no hope for it. Was such a pleasure to go to the cinema, enjoy the whole thing without having to check my watch, hoping the thing would be over. Will try to go watch it again for sure.

HildaOgdenx

Saw it on Tuesday.

Very powerful, dark as I think a lot of McDonagh's work is - although I'm more familiar with his plays than his films.

Stunning scenery, absolutely magnificent.

I thought all the main parts were very well portrayed. Dominic's story broke my heart. Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt briefly reincarnated as D'Unbelievables didn't add very much, imo.

And I don't know about anyone else but I was begging Padraic (in my head 😁) to stay away from Colm after the first finger was chopped, I had to look away from the screen a few times.

But overall, very powerful, dark and sad with occasional unexpected humour too. I wandered out of the cinema a bit dazed, still very much caught up in the story.

timmyntc

A great watch - much more like a theatre drama than some of McDonaghs other films.

I thought the civil war backdrop worked ok - I assume it was deliberately chosen to reflect on the "civil war" between Colm and Padraic. Many references to how they barely knew who was fighting who or for what - the same futility in Colm's actions, cutting off your nose to spite your face

Keoghans character was great, and his whole story arc beginning with him finding the hook-on-a-stick and culminating with him being found by the banshee who uses it to fish him out of the water, very sad. You wouldn't think at all from the first meeting with him that you would have any sympathy for his character.

I would watch it again, but not for a long while. It's not like a thrill ride of a film, more like a stage drama. You would want to forget some of the plot before going back to rewatch.

JKerova1

I thought it was rubbish to be honest. I swore after A Skull in Connemara I'd never watch a McDonagh play or film again. Wish I'd stuck to my guns!

DrumSteve

I thought it was a really good, did a really good job of portraying someone who basically can't handle rejection and moves on from that.

All the leads were excellent though I will admit I found it hard to understand Keoghan at times for some reason.

I feel like it's the type of story that could really be transposed anywhere and work.

Condon was defo the stand out for me in this though, absolutely excellent.

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119868667#Comment_119868667

Yes. I guess it's about rejection and how it is seen by the rejected and rejectee. Had it happen to me years ago, told by my friend that he didn't want to see me no more. I was shocked but had to accept it after trying a few times to turn him around.

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119858975#Comment_119858975

I think if you're going in for a dislike of McDonagh's work then your mind is made up already and you're never going to like it no matter what you see.

I have the same confirmation bias with people like Meryl Streep or Jennifer Aniston but sometimes you have to drop that and judge it on its own merits and therefore I have enjoyed some of Streep's work, (can't think of anything good with Aniston though 😀).

Still think Banshee is one of the films of the year and I think rewards season will reflect that but I can understand why some people don't like these character driven story pieces.

Fysh

Finally managed to catch this at the cinema yesterday and very glad I did; while a lot of the appeal of McDonagh's films for me is the dialogue, the landscape shots in this were stunning and worth seeing on a bigger screen.

The central performances were excellent, and I agree with others upthread that Kerry Condon stole every scene she was in. I really liked the humour in it, particularly in some of the exchanges between Colm and Páiric (shades of In Bruges occasionally).

Spoiler Warning

I keep thinking about the conversation in the pub where a fairly-lubricated Páiric lashes out at Colm and makes a heartfelt, if maybe unsophisticated, case for the merits of being nice, while Colm fairly coldly talks about artistic legacy. That exchange left me thinking about why each of the characters feels the way they do, and what has happened to make them feel that way. Páiric has clearly been content living his life with one day being much the same as the next, and indeed cannot or will not tolerate any significant change to that sameness. While we don't know much about Colm's past, it's clear something has happened to focus his attention on what he will be remembered for - but the way he talked about musicians and artists being remembered made me wonder why he cares so much about the opinions of people he'll never know, over the opinions of people in his community. His rejection of Páraic's friendship struck me as being at least partly a matter of projection, in that he sees in Páraic his own behaviour and traits that will, if continued, leave no legacy after his death. Whereas Páraic, after one of the most emotionally devastating days of his life, comes to reflect Colm's stubborn commitment to disproportionate response and lack of concern for himself.

Ultimately I think the most insightful of the lot of them was Siobhán, in part for the "You're all boring" rant she gives Colm (who has never bothered to cultivate her friendship, for all his talk about not having time for "dull people") and in part for acting on the realisation that she'll only find happiness by leaving the island. Dominic is clearly a lot sharper than most of the islanders give him credit for, albeit abrasive and losing the run of himself at times - but that sharpness means he can see what his future is likely to be, the lakeside conversation with Siobhán and her subsequent departure serving as confirmation.

tibruit

I didn`t really get what all the fuss was about Barry Keoghan before now, but he was great in this. Very authentic when compared to how John Hurt or John Mills hammed up that type of character on screen in the past. His scene with Kerry Condon by the lake really got to the heart of the futility of his existence.

Cluedo Monopoly

I watched it last night. I enjoyed it but something felt off about it. Not sure exactly why. It was like I was watching a play that had been forced onto the big screen. Some excellent performances. Intriguing film, I would watch it again.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119829923#Comment_119829923

Clever. Although the mandatory acclamation of Beckett is deserving of scrutiny in itself.

As far as I'm aware, Con Houlihan and John Dolan are the only literary critics who have dared to question Beckett's greatness.

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119925001#Comment_119925001

Who's Beckett?