Salt in Wound

4.5 stars out of 5

Despite enjoying their previous work together In Bruges, I didn’t rush out to see this film. From the trailer, it seemed a little “diddlydee” as my Irish friend Patrick says. And with two old pals — Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson — comedically feuding, the whole thing looked like it might be a little one-note. Oh, and though most everybody loved writer/director Martin McDonagh’s most recent effort Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, I kind of didn’t.

Yet, it was $5 Tuesday, and instead of waiting an hour for Bardo, I decided to give The Banshees of Inisherin a try. The movie is indeed-deed-diddlydee, but in a very pleasing way. You feel like you’re there on the rural Irish island (I was immediately reminded of TV’s Father Ted), and the physical space plays as much a part in the story as Farrell and Gleeson do. There’s the rolling green hills with stone-bordered paths, the farm animals, the pub that’s the center of life, the traditional music, the church. Dare I say, it’s… charming. And lovely. And the script is quite funny.

The plot does in fact begin very simply. Pádraic (Farrell) can’t understand why Colm (Gleeson) doesn’t want to be his friend anymore. They’ve always been friends! Did Pádraic say something, did he do something? He can’t figure it out. It’s such a stripped-down story, it actually felt like a fable, an allegory.

Farrell is so very likable in this role; the character is described as “one of life’s good guys.” The actor effectively conveys the character’s confusion, persistence, and mounting frustration. Also delightful is Kerry Condon as Pádraic’s sister Siobhan; they live together and look after each other. She’s reserved and bookish with a big heart, but doesn’t take any guff. Also in the very likable colm I mean column is Barry Keoghan as sweet, dimwitted Dom. I’d been very impressed with Keoghan in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which Farrell was also very good in, come to think of it.

But what about co-lead Gleeson? He gets to be gruff, stubborn, taciturn, imposing, and pensive. Oh and he plays the fiddle(deedee), and wrote and performs the title track!! Between this and The Patient, Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson are my Father & Son Actors of the Week!

It’s Gleeson’s character’s changed attitude that slowly pulls this film in a darker direction, along with the fact that it’s 1923 and the Irish Civil War is literally and figuratively in the background. What we end up with is an exploration of friendship, companionship, conflict, responsibility to others versus responsibility to ourselves, and nothing of short of the search for meaning in life itself. It all adds up to one of the better films I’ve seen this year.