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Brendan Gleeson

SF Radio 9.05: Screaming at THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

November 11, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

In THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, Padraic (Colin Farrell) is thrown when his dear friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly announces that they’re no longer friends. As Padraic attempts to make amends, the situation spins wildly out of control, exposing the underlying hurt and rage that bubbles within this quaint Irish town. This week, Dave Voigt (InTheSeats.ca) and Deb Whalen stop by for a pint to talk about the pain of escalation and poisonous power.

You can stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

9.05-The-Banshees-of-InisherinDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast, TIFF Tagged With: Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Oscars, The Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin: Holding on to Ghosts

October 27, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set upon a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of Padraic (Colin Farrell), a man who spends his days caring for the sheep and chatting with his pal Colm (Brendan Gleeson) at the local pub. But today is different. Colm won’t answer his calls for their daily pint and Padraic is confused. When he confronts his friend, the only answer that Colm offers back is that he ‘doesn’t like him anymore’. Even so, Padraic refuses to accept Colm’s rash decision and decides to do whatever he can to make up for… well… whatever it is that’s he done to offend his friend. But as Padraic continues to push, the gap between himself and Colm continues to widen, further shattering what was once a great relationship.

Directed by Martin McDonagh, Banshees is a surprisingly funny and heartfelt film to add to his catalog. Unlike his most recent Oscar-winning work, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Banshees is far lighter in tone than its predecessor, allowing the quaint surroundings and quirky conversations to lead the way. 

At least, at first.

Best known for unleashing man’s inner darkness, McDonagh lets his film operate on a slow burn. Beginning with one man’s spontaneous decision to end his friendship with his best pal, the film opens with such buoyancy that the viewer cannot help but be drawn into the madness of McDonagh’s world. But darkness looms on the horizon. By highlighting the humour of the film, McDonagh somehow makes the inevitable release of rage even more shocking and disturbing.

It’s been many years since Farrell has appeared to be having as much fun as he is here, bringing a buoyancy to the film. With a smile on his face, Farrell simply cannot understand why his friend refuses his time anymore and he is willing to do whatever it takes to repair the damage. However, as the film progresses, one can see the darkness that gradually grows within Farrell’s heart as his becomes increasingly frustrated with his friend. At the same time, Gleeson plays Colm with such a heaviness that one cannot help but wonder what the true reason is behind his refusal of friendship. Having worked together in In Bruges, both Gleason and Farrell have always done well in roles that required them to reveal the shadows within the human spirit, and that serves them well here. Whether they’re arguing about friendship or pretending to play nice with one another, their chemistry on screen is palpable and amazing to behold.

Although there are no particular ghosts within the film, the titular ‘banshee’ appears in the form of Ms. McCormack, an older woman who bears prophetic threats. Clothed in black and standing ominously on the path, McCormick appears at random with words of warning, even as Padraic remains optimistic about his situation. As such, there’s a certain sense of inevitability of death and destruction that hovers over the film like a black cloud ready to unleash its storm.

Interestingly, McDonagh juxtaposes the simple story of two men in a dispute with a mysterious Civil War that lies across the sea. Although we occasionally hear guns flaring, we are never allowed to know what that battle is truly about. At the same time, the ‘row’ between Gleason and Farrell falls in step with the unknown battle that continues to rage, creating an interesting tension between the two situations. While McDonagh offers no clear answers to their connection, Banshees appears to highlight the pointless realities of war. Beginning over the silliest of misunderstandings or arguments, the tensions between Padraic and Colm are of such a ridiculous nature that one wonders why there’s a conflict at all. However, the tensions continue to escalate and the reason for the dispute becomes irrelevant. As the beginning of this battle falls further and further into the distance, the quest for peace disappears further on the horizon. All of a sudden, what once might’ve been repaired is now irreparable, and what began as a simple ‘row’ evolves into full-blown war. 

In this way, McDonagh unleashes the true terror of his Banshees. Although the reasons appear insignificant, the ghosts of the past refuse to allow the present to heal. With humour and a heart of darkness, McDonagh highlights the pain that is caused when people hold on to their hurt and how quickly the damage can escalate.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Barry Koeghan, Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

TIFF ’22: The Banshees of Inisherin

September 22, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set upon a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of Padraic (Colin Farrell), a man who spends his days caring for the sheep and chatting with his pal Colm (Brendan Gleeson) at the local pub. But today is different. When Colm won’t answer his calls for their daily pint, Padraic is confused. When he confronts his friend, the only answer that Colm offers back is that he ‘doesn’t like him anymore’. But Padraic refuses to accept Colm’s rash decision and decides to do whatever he can to make up for… well… whatever it is that’s he done to offend his friend. But as Padraic continues to push, the gap between himself and Colm continues to widen, further shattering what was once a great relationship.

Directed by Martin McDonagh, Banshees is a surprisingly funny and heartfelt film to add to his catalog. Unlike his most recent Oscar-winning work, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but Banshees is far lighter in tone than its predecessor, allowing the quaint surroundings and quirkly conversations to lead the way. 

At least, at first.

Best known for unleashing man’s inner darkness, McDonagh allows his film to operate on a slow burn. Beginning with one man’s spontaneous decision to end his friendship with his best pal, the film open with such buoyancy that the viewer cannot help but be drawn into the madness of McDonagh’s world. But darkness looms on the horizon. By highlighting the humour of the film, McDonagh somehow makes the inevitable release of rage even more shocking and disturbing.

In this way, McDonagh unleashes the true terror of his Banshees. Although the reasons appear insignificant, the ghosts of the past refuse to allow the present to heal. With humour and a heart of darkness, McDonagh highlights the pain that is caused when people hold on to their hurt and how quickly the damage can escalate.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Barry Koeghan, Brendan Gleeson, Civil War, Colin Farrell, Ireland, Kerry Condon, Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin, TIFF, TIFF22

Paddington 2: Lessons From A Bear

January 12, 2018 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

We all know life can be difficult and challenging—sometimes before 8:30 in the morning. Drivers treat the commute like a game of Pole Position. Co-workers spray mean-spirited comments around the office like they’re watering a garden.  Social media serves as a hub for negativity to fester among friends both real and virtual.  Hectic schedules cause unrelenting stress. Homework is a horror for kids and a never-ending nightmare for adults. And then there’s the news . . .

Though life does not consist solely of de-thorned roses, we can still make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in. That is one of the main messages of Paddington 2, the latest movie by Studio Canal and director Paul King. Following on the footsteps of the highly successful first film, the second iteration continues the adventures of the charming bear with the red hat and bright blue peacoat. Touching in some areas, laugh-out loud funny in others, it’s an irresistibly charming addition to the series.

Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) has settled down with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens but wants to get Aunt Lucy a present for her 100th birthday. Passing by an antique shop one day, he spots a pop-up book of London that would be perfect. However, the book is quite expensive so he decides to get a job to pay for it.  His role as a barber doesn’t quite go as intended, so he reverts to a window washer—a task he’s uniquely made for.  Before he can get his paws on the book though, it’s stolen by a burglar. Paddington sees the break-in and attempts to catch the culprit, only to be arrested erroneously by the police and sentenced to twelve years in prison.

Life in jail is quite different for Paddington, but the bear, with his usual hopefulness and positivity taught to him by his Aunt Lucy, attempts to make the most of his situation.  However, Paddington learns a lesson anyone who’s ever washed clothes will attest to: a red sock in a bunch of white prison outfits equals a bunch of unhappy prisoners.  Maybe he can make it up to everyone by getting Knuckles the cook (Brendan Gleeson) to serve something remotely appetizing . . .

Meanwhile, the Browns realize Paddington is innocent and start an investigation into who stole the pop-up book.  They put up flyers, snoop around houses, and scour the community for clues while doing their best to let Paddington know.  When they forget to show up one day, Paddington begins to think they’ve moved on without him.

But there is a break in the case when Mrs. Brown discovers the culprit is a neighbor and former actor—Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant).  But why does he want the pop-up book?  Is there something special about it?  Will Paddington serve the entire prison sentence, or will his motto of “If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” live up to its billing?  It’s worth finding out.

As in the first film, the acting is top notch, with Grant enjoyably smarmy yet flamboyant as the former actor turned thief.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins) provide just the right amount of levity in a family where everyone has big ambitions (it’s ironic that Hawkins, recently honored with a Golden Globe nomination for the film The Shape of Water, plays a character whose goal is to swim the English Channel). Of course, Paddington is just as you’d expect—a lovable bear who sometimes makes mistakes but always follows the mantra of his Aunt Lucy: “If you look for the good in people, you’ll find it.” To that end, he’s the hero we need right now.

What do we do when times get tough?  Do we run away or are we brave, jumping headlong into the fray?  I think about Joshua in the Old Testament as he prepared to lead an entire nation into a new land—one they were promised by God.  It must have felt like a daunting task he was incapable of accomplishing—after all, he was a slave while in Egypt. God gave Joshua a healthy shot of courage when he told him to “be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NLT). He took that advice, just like Paddington did with Aunt Lucy’s words, and moved forward to make things better for others.

What can happen in our world if we just attempt to look for the best in others and simply be nice?  Perhaps we should strive to find out.  I think Paddington and Aunt Lucy would agree.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Bear, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Joshua, Lessons, London, Paddington 2, Paul King, Sally Hawkins

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