Les Banshees d'Inisherin

Je m’attendais à un dénouement plus intéressant et encore plus dramatique, mais Les Banshees d’Inisherin reste une excellente étude de personnages non conventionnels aux prises avec un conflit non conventionnel, dans un cadre non conventionnel et très atmosphérique. Il s’agit d’un film tragicomique et imprévisible, dont les actions et les réactions sont déterminées par deux villageois incompatibles qui vivent au bout du monde et y gaspillent leur vie de manière passive. La première moitié est magistralement écrite et réalisée. Mais la question de savoir comment le problème sera résolu y est plus divertissante que ne le sera la résolution elle-même dans la seconde moitié. Colin Farrell est à nouveau excellent et Carter Burwell (le compositeur attitré des frères Coen) est formidable, tout comme le décor, qui constitue en lui-même un autre personnage important du film. (19/01/2023)

A pleasant, cruel conversational movie about the fact that sometimes you can simply hate your neighbour for no apparent reason. There isn’t anything especially deep about it; it’s just a pleasantly thick stout with white foam in the form of a great central duo and a setting that’s as hearty as its inhabitants. (14/01/2023)

The (un)official final part of the free trilogy from the Aran Islands. Of McDonagh’s works, this the closest to his theatre roots, which is a problem. McDonagh is a better writer than director and a better playwright than screenwriter, and as a film director, he tries to hide the distinct theatricality of the script, which is a mistake, it would be better if he accepted it for what it is. It is a minor detail, but coupled with the fact that it's not the best part of the trilogy, which also as a whole is overshadowed by the Leenan trilogy, means that The Bahsees of Inisherin feels like a tiny step backwards for McDonagh as a writer and as a director. Since his film debut, I've wanted him to be closer to his roots in style and substance, and this confirms the proverbial "be careful what you wish for, it might come true". But does any of this mean it's not excellent or perhaps superbly acted? Not at all. (08/02/2023)

McDonagh hasn't made a bad movie yet. He's a whiz at turning even an uninteresting premise into an ambitious work that will storm the Oscars. I was honestly worried, as this is his most intimate film without violence, but he still managed to win me over. We get the most out of the actors here! Colin Farrell – clear Oscar, Barry Keoghan – second Oscar. The landscape of the Irish countryside is amazing (I enjoyed the rough Irish slang too), it's just close to my heart and that can impress me. What's great though is the insanely bizarre black and bitter humour, I laughed really loud a few times and some of the lines are brutal, and that's what makes it just so great. “Wasn't it so much easier when we was all on the same side, and it was just the English we was killin'?” Good film. 80%. (21/12/2022)

A tale about a man who has decided to make a drastic change in his life, entirely inspired by Irish folklore. The more he talks about it, the less he actually pursues it, and his behavior not only makes less and less sense over time, but also begins hurting the people around him. Martin McDonagh usually amuses me with how cleverly he torments his characters and the audience, but this time he crossed the line of likeability towards mere exhibitionism. Despite being one of Colin Farrell's outstanding performances, most of the time it's all just form without any substantial content. The third star is for the heart-wrenching scenery and the rising star of Barry Keoghan, but otherwise it's a surprising disappointment and a creative warning. (12/03/2023)

The Banshees of Inisherin begins as a tale of inflated ego, but grows into an otherworldly tale of kindness and vanity. Farrell and Gleeson excel again under the direction of McDonagh. The superb dialogue, the search for the reason for it all and the very slowly escalating conflict are absorbing and, apart from a minor slower passage in the middle, it is an excellent piece of work. Burwell's minimalist music fits beautifully. (17/12/2022)

A perfect portrayal of that strange human behaviour, when a person does something that those around them don't understand, but at that moment it makes perfect sense to them. Martin McDonagh only needed another feature film with a polished script and sensational actors to say something others can't. And while there is no moment as powerful as Sam Rockwell's in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it's a great film to reflect on for a long time afterwards – not because you want to understand it, but because you just want to think about it. (13/02/2023)

I tell myself that this is exactly how every girl I try in all honesty to make contact with must feel: she'd rather cut off her fingers and throw them on my doorstep than answer me. McDonagh's once again wipes its ass with Hollywood clichés and serves up another searing relationship film about people separated from the "norm" of civilization, alternating funny and bizarre scenes with tragic ones in a balanced rhythm. It is about the boundless loneliness of those people who have chosen such a life for themselves, as well as those who are in it involuntarily, a morally pure and naive versus skeptical view of the world. And the fact that sooner or later they'll converge. There was no twist that grounded me this time, and the character of the old fortune teller seemed a bit unnecessary, but I will definitely be thinking about this film for some time. Only I don't know yet if it's because of the overall message, or just because of some scenes and the performances. (16/12/2022)

Un film hors norme sur l’amitié au début duquel l'amitié en question se termine brutalement d’un côté sans raison apparente. De tous les films réalisés à ce jour par le dramaturge Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin est de loin son plus intimiste, un peu à la façon d’une pièce de théâtre. Donc si vous voulez de l’action, passez votre chemin. L’alternance entre l’humour (souvent très sarcastique) et des thématiques déprimantes au possible a toujours été la marque de fabrique de ce scénariste et cinéaste britannique, mais avec les Banshees, malgré son minimalisme, les émotions s'opposent et se télescopent en nous envoyant sur les montagnes russes. Ainsi, malgré les nombreux éclats de rire pendant le film, on se retrouve complètement dévasté à la fin. Tous les acteurs livrent une prestation remarquable, en particulier Colin Farrell, qui se fond à merveille dans son rôle de beauf irlandais candide et obstiné. [Vancouver International Film Festival 2022] (05/10/2022)

Man is a social creature! However, this does not preclude the possibility that he may at times become overwhelmed by someone's company and therefore, at his own discretion, fair or not, decide not to continue to waste his time with that person. At first glance, this sounds like a simple theme from everyday life, but Martin McDonagh took it in his own distinctive way and served us a powerful story that will entertain the viewer from the heart with its immediacy, only to give them an unpleasant chill down their spine and a bittersweet taste in their mouth in the next moment. Friendship may be eternal, but it certainly should not be taken for granted. The Banshees of Inisherin wouldn't be so effective and precise, though, if it weren't for the excellent cast (with excellent local English), whether it was the endearingly tough Colin Farrell, the chillingly stubborn Brendan Gleeson, the (un)happily goofy Barry Keoghan, or the caring Kerry Condon (all the acting Oscar nominations are spot on here). Last but not least, the unmistakable soundtrack deserves praise, perfectly underlining the beauty, but also the bleakness of the remote island where the banshees still announce an approaching death with their wailing. P.S. "I am not putting my donkey outside when I'm sad, okay?" (30/01/2023)

Martin McDonagh has created an extremely distinctive screenplay, tinged with quirky humor, for which I would give him an Oscar in a heartbeat. Even if he doesn't get it, one of the top spots in my list of screenwriters is now secure. I don't think I've ever seen such a powerful, deeply human and touchingly intimate story about friendship, the desire to belong, aging and loneliness, and I've seen quite a few movies. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful island off the west coast of Ireland, where the whole story takes place. However, my fascination with the moving drama of The Banshees of Inisherin is far from over. The music is also wonderful, provided by Carter Burwell. However, it would be no exaggeration to say that the main asset of this movie are the great performances of most of the actors involved, mainly Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. (100%) (17/02/2023)

Cette histoire tragicomique de la fin d’une amitié se déroule au début du vingtième siècle, au bon milieu des magnifiques paysages de l’Irlande sauvage, dans un petit village où les gens ont une vie simple et passent la plupart de leurs journées au pub local. Mais un jour, Colm ne veut plus être ami avec Pádraic. En tant qu’êtres humains, nous sommes obsédés par la question du « pourquoi » : pourquoi deux personnes cessent-elles de s’apprécier et de se comprendre, pourquoi commencent-elles à se haïr ? Faut-il toujours qu’il y ait à cela une raison précise ? Colm arrive à un stade de sa vie où il ne veut tout simplement plus perdre un temps précieux en bavardages superficiels avec une personne qui ne l’enrichit en rien et qu’il trouve ennuyeuse et primitive. Mais Pádraic le prend mal et veut au contraire continuer à se battre pour cette amitié, ce qui nous conduit à des événements tout à fait imprévisibles. Leur conflit semble dans un premier temps un peu risible, comme les chamailleries de deux garçons de douze ans, mais il évolue progressivement vers des échanges de plus en plus vifs et un règlement de compte brutal. L’ensemble du récit possède un caractère très intimiste et théâtral, et il est accompagné par la musique atmosphérique et envoûtante de Carter Burwell. Il s’agit pour Colin Farrell et Brendan Gleeson d’une rencontre à l’écran très réussie, que j’ai beaucoup appréciée. (13/03/2023)