The Banshees of Inisherin has just been released around the world to incredible acclaim on the festival circuit, and critics are calling it a hilarious, unromantic breakup movie. The film follows two best friends on a remote island just off the coast of Ireland, and one of the friends breaks up with the other for no explainable reason.
Written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Martin McDonagh, the film has his signature dark sense of humor, and it sees him reunite with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, but it wasn’t all easy. Between Farrell being harassed by a donkey and forced to live with his filthy co-stars, the making of the film almost felt like a dark comedy in its own right.
The opening song isn’t Irish, it’s Bulgarian
In an interview for Kermode and Mayo’s Take, interviewer Simon Mayo reveals that the opening music is not Irish at all but Bulgarian. The song is sung by the female vocal choir of Bulgarian State Radio and Television, and McDonagh explained that he had this song in mind when he imagined the scene.
The filmmaker mentioned, “I knew the shots of Colin walking on this island were going to have this melody because I love it so much. The song has absolutely nothing to do with Irish culture, something that most of the film is steeped in, but it works so well with the scene. McDonagh also added: “I didn’t want the usual Irish fiddle music. »
Keoghan agreed to be in the film without reading the script
Barry Keoghan is in huge demand in Hollywood right now, as he’s one of the few actors to star in DC and MCU movies. The actor played Druig in Eternals, and he played the Joker in The Batman, and he’ll likely have a much bigger role in The Batman 2. But despite all those huge blockbuster movies, Keoghan was quick to sign on. for the low budget. Irish movie, so fast it didn’t even read the script.
The actor explained, “Everything Martin McDonagh does, I sign up. When I got the email from him, it was like, ‘I’m in, I’m in.’ He was like, ‘Do you want to read it?’ “McDonagh has a short but impeccable CV, and as he is known for his black dramas; his scripts must be such fun material for the actors.
The film was written for Gleeson and Farrell
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin
The Banshees of Inisherin isn’t McDonagh’s first time working with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as the two starred in the filmmaker’s debut In Bruges. The actors played an iconic crime duo on screen, as they are hitmen who seek refuge in the Belgian town after a failed assassination.
The three clearly work so well together, and McDonagh must know that, considering he basically wrote Banshees for Gleeson and Farrell (via AV Club). The writer-director mentioned, “One hundred percent. It was written for them. We’ve always wanted to get back together over the past 14 years and stay friends, and we saw each other every year. McDonagh added that that wouldn’t happen until he “stopped being lazy and sat down and carried on.”
He didn’t tell his parents about the movie
The new Irish film is set on a small island just off the coast of Ireland, and given that McDonagh’s parents live in Galway, close to the boat visitors have to take to get there, it only made sense that the director stays with his parents. during filming.
A lot of filmmakers like to keep quiet about a project until it’s finished, but McDonagh kept it completely secret during filming, so much so that he didn’t even tell his mom or son about the project. dad. According to The Guardian, the filmmaker joked, “Although I didn’t tell my parents what I had done. I learned not to because it usually ends in a big decapitation or something. »
Farrell was terrorized by a donkey
Actors are always quick to compliment the work of their colleagues, but Farrell went one step further by singing the praises of an ass he worked so closely with while filming Banshees. In the new film, Farrell plays Pádraic, who has a pet donkey named Jenny, and the actor said of the animal, “It was her first movie, but she acted like it was her 100th. »
However, not everything was easy, and Jenny even hurt the actor. Farrell added: “She didn’t like having her nose touched, I found out. She kicked me in the knee. But it was my fault. I got too close to her. But even then, he still blames himself.
There is a connection with father Ted
Few American viewers will have heard of Father Ted, an Irish sitcom about a family of priests, but it’s considered a classic overseas because it’s filled with hilarious and vulgar profanity, and it’s also set on the Irish rural land. It’s worth sorting out for any fan of raw comedy and it’s one of the best sitcoms like The Office.
And it was revealed that Father Ted actually had a weird connection to The Banshees of Inisherin. According to Yahoo, McDonagh explained that he cast two actors who were extras in the first season of Father Ted. The director revealed: “The guys who are in the pub – Pat Shortt and Jon Kenny – were both in the first season of Father Ted. »
Keoghan stole Farrell’s cornflakes
Since Banshees is about two best friends who are growing apart, it seems like Farrell might want to take a page out of Colm’s (Gleeson) book after the movie ends. According to Irish Mirror, it was not just a donkey that Farrell had problems with, but also Keoghan.
Farrell revealed that he and Keoghan were living together while filming the movie, and it wasn’t the most ideal living situation for him. Not only did Keoghan steal Farrell’s cornflakes, but the actor commented, “He lived with me during the movie and I would walk in in the morning and this fucking place would be like raccoons had been there.” It was like someone said, ‘Okay, how can we piss him off?’ »
McDonagh was afraid of disappointing Brugge fans
While McDonagh has made two great dark comedies since the inherently dark In Bruges, which were the hilarious Seven Psychopaths and the award-winning Three Billboards, McDonagh still felt the pressure to follow up the cult classic with Banshees. Where these follow-ups to In Bruges have embraced American culture, in many ways Banshees is a spiritual successor to the 2008 film.
In this regard, it is hardly surprising that McDonagh is worried. According to Deadline, the filmmaker was worried about the possibility of ruining the legacy of this film. McDonagh explained, “You never want to do anything that disappoints the people who love this movie. »
Phoebe Waller-Bridge approved the script
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has become a screenwriter and acting heavyweight in recent years, creating the beloved comedy series Fleabag, and she’ll even star in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5. And before the 2022 film enters in production, according to The Hollywood Reporter, McDonagh showed the actress the script.
Although McDonagh is one of the best screenwriters of the 21st century, showing off his work to one of his biggest peers could be daunting, especially since he’s dating Waller-Bridge. However, Waller-Bridge apparently enjoyed it, as McDonagh recalled, “And she really liked this one, so it was pretty good.” »
It was a homecoming for Kerry Condon
In The Banshees of Inisherin, Kerry Condon plays Siobhán, Pádraic’s sister, and while she’s best known for playing FRIDAY in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she had worked with McDonagh before, though not on just any movie. film. The actress starred in McDonagh’s plays when she was just 17.
Thanks to her history with the director-turned-screenwriter, she knew exactly what to expect when it came to the noir tone. According to Entertainment Weekly, Condon explained, “This movie is a lot like her plays, so it was just a little extension of that, and a natural progression for me as an actress. It was a bit more mature and a bit harder to play. . »
10 behind-the-scenes facts about the Banshees of Inisherin | Pretty Reel