Banshees

There are disturbing elements in Martin McDonagh’s precisely calibrated hit The Banshees of Inisherin. But along with all the nihilism, the unfortunate donkey and the splashes of gore, the performance given by Barry Keoghan is right up there for its unsettling impact. The Irish actor’s vulnerable and abused islander Dominic Kearney gives the film moments of warmth and much of its emotional punch.So, even though the 30-year-old’s inclusion in the Oscar lineup for best supporting actor was unexpected last week – especially…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeMartin McDonagh, the man behind the nine-time Oscar nominated comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, was noticeably absent from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) list for Best Original Screenplay.The British-Irish director’s main award season rivals Steven Spielberg, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, and Todd Field all secured nods in the top WGA category.It comes after all five directors…

The premise of the film The Banshees of Inisherin – now attracting awards like a magnet – is encapsulated in an early exchange between the two main characters: Colm abruptly ends his longstanding friendship with Pádraic, who, understandably, seeks an explanation.“I just don’t like you no more,” says Colm.“You do like me,” says Pádraic.“I don’t,” says Colm.Although many of the codes of straight male friendship are unspoken, there are two obvious breaches of protocol here. First, one never ends things overtly – the demands…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeMention Colin Farrell 20 years ago and a few things would probably come to mind. Drugs. Booze. Sex tapes. Farrell was one of Hollywood’s bad boys, an Irish actor who always seemed to be getting in trouble with the press and whose early promise seemed to stall amid a run of dud movies. How that has all changed...Last week, Farrell picked up his second Best Actor Golden Globe for his…

It was a banner year for Irish cinema at the Golden Globes last night. The Banshees of Inisherin took home awards for Best Director, Best Comedy, and Best Actor — the latest in a string of award season wins. You’d think an award-winning movie written by an Irishman, starring an entirely Irish cast, and filmed in Ireland, would be a particular point of national pride. But no culture is a monolith and some citizens of the Republic are questioning whether the movie is all that it’s cracked up to be after all. In a post on…

`The Banshees of Inisherin` was feted with with Best Screenplay, Motion Picture at the ongoing 80th Golden Globe Awards here. The film was competing in the category against `Tar`, `Everything Everywhere All at Once`, `Women Talking` and `The Fabelmans`. Martin McDonagh, who has directed, written, and co-produced film, joked while taking the honour on stage. He wrote: "Thankyou. I wrote the script for donkey and horse. I wrote Colin and Brandon. Their nuanced performance blew me. Thank you all." Set on a remote island…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeAfter two years away from the spotlight, the Golden Globes returned in earnest on Tuesday (10 January).The awards ceremony, organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), has spent the past two years embroiled in controversy over diversity and “ethical lapses” in its business conduct. After the HFPA implemented changes to the make-up of its voting body, and instituted a…

A year after going on mute – no red carpet, no stars, no television broadcast in 2022 – the Golden Globes returned to form at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles: open bottles of champagne, over time and overstretched, gesturing toward improving its longstanding diversity issues while taking shots from host Jerrod Carmichael.The night’s big winners were The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical family drama that also won him best director, and Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, while the network…

Key events2h agoAre the Globes really back?3h agoWINNER: The Fabelmans - best motion picture, drama3h agoWINNER: The Banshees of Inisherin – best motion picture, comedy or musical4h agoWINNER: House of the Dragon - best drama series4h agoWINNER: Abbott Elementary - best comedy series4h agoWINNER: Kevin Costner (Yellowstone) - best actor in a TV series, drama4h agoWINNER: The White Lotus - best limited series, anthology series or TV movie4h agoWINNER: Evan Peters (Dahmer) - best actor, limited series, anthology series or…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeThe Banshees of Inisherin has won the 2023 Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.The film, directed by Martin McDonagh, was competing in the category against Babylon, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery andTriangle of Sadness.At the start of the evening, Everything Everywhere All at Once had been the bookmakers’ favourite to…