One of the most prominent symptoms of mediocre movies in general and of bad comedies in particular, is characters who, for the sake of a joke or plot twist designed to surprise, behave in an unconvincing and humanly unreasonable manner. This flaw crumbles the backbone of far too many movies. Martin McDonough’s genius is expressed, among other things, in that even though the characters in his new film do very extreme things, I understood them and even identified with them, although I would not under any circumstances act like them.
At first glance, “Ghosts of Inishreen”, which takes place on a small fictional island off the coast of Ireland, looks like those captivating Anglosex stories such as “Doc Martin” – about strange and funny people who live in remote and eye-catching villages. Here, too, we see only one policeman roaming the streets, and a gossip-loving grocery store owner, but it soon becomes clear that this time it is a plot devoid of sweetness – not that anyone expects this taste from the playwright and filmmaker associated with bitter works, saturated with cruelty and gallows humor (“The Pillow Man”, “Three Signs” outside of Ebbing, Missouri”).
In the opening shot, the camera descends from a cloud to a cliff towering above the sea, divided into many small green plots. The landscape is Irish, but the song in the soundtrack is by a Bulgarian women’s choir, and the spectacular pastoral image may later be deciphered as symbolic – everyone is fighting for their place in the world. From there the camera floats towards a small village among the hills, and in the third shot we meet Colin Farrell walking briskly and smiling as he greets the passers-by. Behind him in the picture are a sea, a mountain and a rainbow. After a few more such beautiful fools accompanying him on his way, he arrives at a lonely house by the sea, pet the dog sitting outside, knocks on the door and the smile disappears from his face when he goes to the window and finds Brendan Gleeson sitting smoking inside the house, ignoring his call to come with him to the pub. And so, two minutes into the film, the obsessive and violent conflict at its center begins.
Paderic (Farrell), or Fardick as his name is pronounced in the film, lives with his sister Shivonne (Kerry Condon from “Next to Sol”), raises a small herd of cows, and drinks with Colm (Gleeson) every lunch in the pub in the village, until the day Colm decides to hang up any connection with him. He doesn’t provide a reason and just wants Fardic to leave him alone. But Pardik demands an answer, and when he finally gets one, he refuses to accept it and insists on maintaining his little routine, which included the daily meeting with Colum over a glass of beer in the pub. Kolem, as far as he is concerned, thinks Fardik is ignorant and boring, and when he starts to feel that the time he has left in the world is getting shorter and shorter without leaving a mark, he wants to free up his time for composing, and spending time with other, less boring musicians. This tiny story yields tremendous drama as the hurt Pardik refuses to give up the friendship, and Kolm announces that if he turns to him one more time he will do something extreme, even though it seems completely at odds with his declaration of what he wants to do with what’s left of his life. Gunshots from a distant civil war (the film takes place in 1923) add an insubstantial allegorical layer.
The pastoral does not last long. Brendan Gleeson in Inishreen Ghosts
McDonagh is an exceptional case of both a playwright and a filmmaker, who, unlike his heroes, leaves a strong mark in both fields of creation. The theatrical dialogues, rich in sounds and reverberations that he wrote for his first Irish film (he is the son of Irish parents born in London), blend well with the landscapes and with the Oscar-nominated music composed by Carter Brewell. Here he created a kind of parable about one of the questions at the base of human existence: what is more important and truer, to be nice and be remembered by individual people, or to leave a mark – for example through art – and be remembered for generations, even at the cost of hurting people. The exciting answer you will receive at the end is not unequivocal because it is formulated in a magnificent work of art for the ear, the eye, the heart and the mind, which will surely be remembered for many years.
You probably know that “Ghosts of Inishreen”, one of the celebrated films of 2022, garnered nine Oscar nominations, including three for McDonagh as the screenwriter, director and producer of the film, and four for the actors. Alongside the excellent Farrell and Gleeson, who have already appeared together in McDonagh’s Bruges, Condon is equally great as Shivonne, the smartest and most educated woman around, who needs a push to break out of the routine her brother insists on, and Barry Keon (“Dunkirk”, “The Green Knight” “) as the village fool Dominic. The beaten son of the violent policeman, who also sexually exploits him, is the most touching character in the film, not to mention heartbreaking. And he’s not really stupid. Fardik also has moments of enlightenment, precisely when he drinks. Another question that arises in the film is the behavior of which of its heroes is actually more violent. The cop is definitely a bully, and their voice has definitely hurt his friend, but isn’t Pardik’s obsessive stubbornness offensive in itself?
There is exactly one sweet thing in this movie and that is this Athens. Colin Farrell and Athon in “Ghosts of Inishreen”
There are three more important characters in the film, even if their roles are mainly symbolic. Mrs. McCormick (Sheila Fliton), who always wears black, is the Banshee in the title – a ghost from Irish mythology who heralds the death of people close to her. The old woman with the frightening appearance contributes to her comical and bitter actions a dimension of terror. Colm’s Border Collie dog, and Fardick’s little Ethon, known as Jenny (the dog is not identified by name) also have essential roles in the story. As Pardik insists on penetrating the intimate space of their voice, Jenny insists on entering Pardik and Shivon’s house, and he is happy to host her, despite his sister’s thunderous protests. Thus Jenny is not only Pardik’s beloved companion, but also his comforting embodiment. And she is the one sweet thing in the movie.
4.5 stars. The Banshees of Inisherin Director: Martin McDonagh. With Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keown. Ireland 2022, 114 min.