Best Actor 2022: Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin

Colin Farrell received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Pádraic Súilleabháin in The Banshees of Inisherin. 

The Banshees of Inisherin is a cinematic joy to me about a man on an isolated Irish island whose best friend unfriends him. 

Colin Farrell returns to leading a Martin McDonagh film, after sitting out his last film and having played largely thankless, though more than decently performed, role of the author's surrogate in Seven Psychopaths. Farrell with this film returns to a substantial leading role with McDonagh since their first and masterful collaboration of In Bruges. The two roles are substantially different, almost comically different, particularly as we open both films. His role of the first-time hitman Ray in that earlier film, really is, for the lack of a better word, a bit of prick angry at needing to stay over in Bruges, and in general, seemingly taking out his somewhat low ire towards the world around him. Contrast that to his portrayal of Pádraic in the opening scene of the film where he is walking around the Island of Inisherin, he might as well be walking through the sky with the ease of his step as he goes about the day. Farrell brimming with just the joy of life and the easiest smile comes upon his face. Farrell establishes Pádraic as a man who loves his life and is loving his life at this moment. Farrell knows establishing Pádraic must be distinctly understood for anything wonderful to come from this tale McDonagh is going to relate. 

I will say the very notion of the character of Pádraic is in many ways unusual for a lead, let alone a performer like Colin Farrell taking upon the part because he is a man of little importance and just initially has no real trouble to speak of. Farrell who earlier in his career often was known for being more confident if not presumed to be the "cool" type, with Pádraic being a far cry from that. Although it is fair to say that Farrell has made clear expansions of his range from his early work, to begin with, this is still a very unique character within his filmography. And you wouldn't think that from just embodying Pádraic from the moment he is onscreen and you just instantly sense a man whose existence is this island, lowkey, and happy to be lowkey in so many ways. When he drops off at his old friend's house Colm (Brendan Gleeson) it is with the most sincere of greetings and his hope for a meeting at the local pub is that of the strictest sincerity. In that little moment Farrell you are granted a sense of the history between the two as just good friends among each other. There's no complication there, just hoping to have a drink with his friend as they've probably done for so many years together up until this point. 

Colm seems to ignore Pádraic whereas Farrell's reaction again is wonderful as he reinforces two ideas one being the long friendship between Pádraic and Colm but also the nature of Pádraic to not take things to heart too quickly. Farrell is supremely likable though in an unusual way in creating this state of the character. He's not Farrell trying to do a more traditional leading man charm offensive, his is a goofy kind of charm he's playing with, and fully commits to this idea because bluntly Farrell simply is Pádraic every moment he's onscreen. That reaction to Colm not speaking through him to his window has such a wonderful purity in Farrell's reaction of confusion. It just barely computes the idea of their friendship. When Pádraic comes home confused about that situation mentioning it to his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon), Farrell's pondering on whether or not they've been "rowing" is hilarious in the blunt confusion, but also feels so genuine in showing the simple way that Pádraic can't quite get it. Farrell's wonderful though in the way that even in just the simple confusion his body language and facial manner show this to shake the man beyond simple understanding. There's a bit more of a break here that is so perfectly alluded to in Farrell's performance. 

The moment I think is key to much of where this performance goes is where Pádraic sees Colm walking off without him, and Farrell brings a bit more intensity in it, a bit of anger as he remarks on wondering where Colm is going. Farrell plays it through with this vulnerability of betrayal. When he finally confronts Colm about the situation Farrell though is again hilarious in his manner of being so soft in his noting of his glass being near Colm's seat, then even his apology, just in case, is so aggressively sincere as Farrell presents Pádraic as just wanting to clear things up with his friend as soon as possible to get it back to things as they should be. Farrell's outstanding in the moment where Colm finally states his disagreement as simply "not liking" Pádraic no more. Farrell's reaction is fantastic as he honestly is quite heartbreaking because his reaction is that of a fundamental break in his reality and really his comfort as a man. His eyes show such great discomfort and sadness, but also just an inability to really understand how this could happen. His delivery of "You do like me" and "You liked me yesterday", is moving because Farrell speaks it with such disquieting anxiety of the man suddenly having a great loss in his mind that he would've never expected and his whole understanding of the world has been broken. 

Farrell's work here is an incredible bit of just really how much he can get out of the most minor of physical gestures and even just a slight tweak of his eyebrows. As the whole first day, just a bit of the squinting shows so well the constant contemplation and fixation he has on trying to understand Colm's sudden rejection of his friendship. This extends from talking with his sister or when he finds a secondary companion in the emotionally stunted Dominic (Barry Keoghan). Farrell plays their interactions properly as really as a bad kind of attempted friend. In that, he is with enough of a cordiality however not really a proper understanding between the two. Showing that he's still thinking about his best friend unless Dominic asks something inappropriate which only breaks to frustration. Still not really paying attention, leading Dominic rejects their conversation as Pádraic's stays stuck thinking about Colm. And I love the moment of the beginning of the next day of Pádraic seeing that it had been April fools potentially, and the reaction of relief on Farrell's face has such a beautiful simplicity within it, as again as he shows it in Pádraic as more than a return to the happiness of having his friend back, rather a rearrangement of his reality back to something that he is able to understand. 

Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and I'll say there's something quite special in just again that return of jubilation as Pádraic walks down the road to state his "discovery" to Colm, only for his old friend to again be dismissive. In their confrontation at the pub the second time, Farrell really is extraordinary because he really is being very funny, while also bringing so much vulnerability into the scene. That is delivering his semi-false anger as he confronts Colm about "wasting his time" and that he could be doing better things than trying to run after him, which Colm calls him out on. Farrell's reactions are comic gold as he is honestly a bit flustered but still gets out "reading" with the most halfhearted of statements. What is amazing though is Farrell's also very moving in showing that in that there is a very real realization that he wouldn't have had anything better to do, and there's a real sadness and anxiety within the same reaction. Farrell merges both tones within his performance which is simply amazing on his part. Farrell afterward, as Colm tries to explain things more clearly, presents someone who has been through some traumatic situation, because this break is traumatic. Farrell's defense of chatting brings a real blunt passion, which again is funny because he so seriously presents the argument of getting either "pony or donkey shite" right, yet he's also moving because he shows that for a man like Pádraic, it means so much. 

And in this way, what Farrell achieves, other than being very entertaining in the role, is to give meaning to why Pádraic is trying so hard to keep talking to Colm. It isn't just that he's his friend, he's his only real friend and an essential part of what makes his world whole as one. Farrell so clearly illustrates this motivation so effectively and brings us into his unique headspace in a way that is enjoyable, but also oddly relatable. Farrell stands his ground against Colm, which Colm describes bluntly that he will cut off his own fingers than speak to him, and in that there is so much fundamental passion about his work. Pádraic stands up for himself with this insistence of his truth as their friendship is worthwhile, however, with Colm calling him dull, Farrell's expression is that of a man truly pained. What only worsens the situation is as Pádraic hears from others that he's not a "thinker" like Colm and is rather just a "good guy". Farrell's reaction is filled with so much anguish that he manages to convey as though Pádraic is evaluating everything about himself. And in that, we see the way in each scene the man is only looking into his own thoughts and Farrell is marvelous in showing a man falling into this depression from this. I love the moment of Colm helping Pádraic after being beaten by the local bully policeman, Dominic's father because as much as he doesn't want to talk to him he doesn't hate him, Farrell is wholly heartbreaking in the sadness of holding in anything from his friend. The tears are of just not being able to reach out and there is so much pain in it. 

Naturally, after quite a few drinks with him, Pádraic breaks the request and confronts Colm one night in the pub. Again Farrell begins hilariously in his initial attempt to dismiss Colm, who is sitting with Dominic's father, with "three things he hates" and his stumbling failure to come up with the three as a proper joke is hypocritically hilarious. However again there's a real heart in this when Colm dismisses Pádraic to go away again, and Farrell's rage at the situation comes out so potently, and as someone who has been storing this away, unlocked by drink. Rage at Colm, however, more so rage at the entire idea of the situation and distress as he sees Colm as being no longer nice. It isn't all rage though and I love that Farrell shows the way Pádraic sticks to the idea of niceness as though it is something worthwhile. Even with his stumbling, drunken rambling way of speaking the words of recognizing the niceness of his sister and his parents, Farrell shows such real emotion there. There is such sincerity to it, so much passion, so much care, and in it you see how much Pádraic truly cares about his parents and his sister for their kindness. And Farrell is once again heartbreaking as he notes himself as a nice man and his regrets over Colm's potentially having been nice, the distress speaking to so much more than just a lost friendship, but basically, a loss of his whole system of morality and reality. 

And in that we see Farrell presenting a man struggling with himself as much as he's struggling with this friendship because the friendship had so defined his life as his comfort. And here's where I can thankfully finally mention Pádraic as a herder, who goes along down the road with his animals, and Farrell presents a man who truly loves his animals beyond just technically being his livelihood. Farrell though presenting that around his animals there is such sorrow in the man closed off from most though in his physical manner around the animals, particularly his favorite miniature donkey Jenny, which Farrell reveals as one of the purest relationships one has ever seen on screen. Everything Farrell does around her is that of just a direct and real love for his donkey and becomes more and more something that he seems to hold onto as any comfort within the discomfort that now exists within his life. And Farrell reveals a man who now without his life making sense, you see a man who is rather aimless in a certain sense, no longer sure of himself, in his joy, as we had seen in the opening of the film, and turn Pádraic begins to take somewhat drastic actions. 

A brilliant scene for Farrell is essentially Pádraic taking a purposeful change as he gives one of Colm's music students a ride only to lie to the man to get him to leave the island. Farrell's performance is amazing in a very unexpected way and shows the greatness of this performance and how Farrell succeeds in two major ways so naturally. One he is bluntly funny in the delivery of the scene where he speaks every lie of Pádraic in this rather hapless manner of someone who isn't exactly great at improvisation. Farrell delivers every word with ideal timing though in a sort of jumping from one idea to the next in creating a rather ridiculous scenario that tells the poor man that his father died from the same method that his mother had died. Farrell delivers the trickery brilliantly, by doing it so poorly that it is hilarious in his ways. That would be enough for it to be a great scene for Farrell however it is so much more. Farrell shows really the turning of the once nice man, by taking this action of lying for selfish reasons. Farrell though shows that even as Pádraic is not acting nice for once, this is a challenge, his expression is near heartache because as much as Pádraic is going through this action, every ounce of it is going against his being, Farrell shows that it does hurt him, even though he is going through with it. And important to this is the following scene with Dominic, where Farrell shows Pádraic being a bit more open with Dominic as an actual listening friend is still reserved. Farrell expresses so much contemplation of himself until Dominic notes him as stuck in his way, and Farrell shows Pádraic boasting about his "accomplishment" of the deception. Farrell is so haphazard and really pathetic in presenting the man attempting to be mean and fundamentally something he is not. 

And in that sense what we see Pádraic become is a man very mixed up with himself, which as we see as he goes to talk to Colm, after hearing that Colm had found his drunk speech interesting, and comes in to talk to him. Again a very awkward conversation it is, as there is this underlying tension about as much as Farrell brings the bright smile as though everything is back to normal, however even in his smile it isn't quite right and it seems like their relationship isn't at all what it should be, particularly as Colm seems to be mostly looking through Pádraic. We get some hints of their old conversations it would seem as they talk about Colm's name for his musical composition, which Farrell and Gleeson do reveal something a bit more genuine, however, that is surrounded by tensions. Farrell speaking Pádraic's attempt to put all aside, and have a drunk, after also noting about no longer needing to send the student away, all is very forced. Not from Farrell, but rather from Pádraic's failure to bridge the gap. And while that doesn't fix things, Pádraic's situation only is exacerbated as Siobhan announces she's also leaving. Where I did not mention the naturalistic sibling chemistry between the two, however now is the time for it. Condon and Farrell just have the right sort of ease that isn't perfect but it is properly pleasant even as they are different sorts. The weight of the relationship reveals itself when she says she's leaving and Farrell's sadness is of a man who didn't even consider that this would be an option, with their farewell being a painful indication of the man's only greater isolation. 

If that wasn't enough still the relationship with Colm isn't fixed as he removes all fingers from one of his hands as his non-violent method to get Pádraic to stop, which indirectly leads to one more grievance, the death of Jenny from having choked on Colm's finger. And Farrell's reaction to this, after you could so naturally see the comfort between him and the donkey in every other scene, is absolutely devastating. Could seem silly, but it's not silly at all. As Farrell's expression of grief is so potent, and you see only man truly has lost everything he loves so quickly and so painfully. Farrell's way of performing it is with outward pain but also is harrowing in the way he expresses the man internally just writhing in it all. Farrell from this point on is almost this husk of the former bright Pádraic we had seen as he looks over his dead animal companion. And Farrell not only makes you feel for Jenny, but he also makes it so it breaks your heart just as it did poor Pádraic. Farrell presents from there on the full break of the man's reality however he reconstructs by entirely rejecting his niceness. And it is a remarkable achievement as Farrell earns not only turns the joyful "good guy" of Pádraic into a vengeful man, he makes it quite the striking idea as suddenly this man so filled with anger and pathos is still the same man, which in a way is particularly unnerving.  Pádraic's threat to Colm is bone-chilling as we see the man now defined by hate, and he is now so stiff, so built from the ground up by his anguish that he's now gone to the darkness beyond it. And it would seem Pádraic is lost to it all as he sets Colm's house on fire as an act of revenge, leaving the two to meet in the final scene of the film upon a beach. And with that, you also get one more outstanding scene from Farrell with Gleeson, the latter who seems to give probably the purest glimpse of their old friendship while Pádraic is having none of it. It's different now from the literal and metaphorical heat of the moment, Farrell's notable brow is still furrowed, his manner tight with bitterness, his gloomy delivery still accentuating a man who wants to burn the world. But...it is no longer as pure as when he made the threat. Farrell is amazing in how he has these small moments of the old Pádraic throughout the scene. A glint across his face that shows the "niceness" that's still in there somewhere, the little smile he gives Colm's dog, and especially his "anytime" that is fully Pádraic, while also having a bit of a sense of hope as though Pádraic realizing their moment that they might have a chance to make amends after all. This brings me all the way back to Ray from In Bruges. As both films feature a man going through much, and Farrell makes every moment of each man's journey so very potent, so very emotional, so very tangible, and also often very very funny. Where Ray was a man who discovered perhaps some sense of good, Pádraic is the journey of man perhaps losing what good he had. And as idiosyncratic as each story is, Farrell makes both universal by making each moment of it feel so true. And the reason I bring it up is Ray and Pádraic are so different yet both show what Farrell can do when he's at the very top of his game. I could go on and cover every moment of Farrell's work here, and I'll admit I nearly have because I love every moment of this performance. There isn't a moment that fails to bring me a bit of cheer, a bit of pathos, or just a bit of that unique feeling of joy when you see an actor performing, and can't take your eyes off of them while watching, and can't forget it after having seen them.