Venice Diary #6 - Banshees of Inisherin, Don't Worry Darling, and Tilda Swinton (twice)

by Elisa Giudici

Are Hollywood stars saving Venice as we enter the home stretch? The answer is yes, but not always willingly. Traditionally the back half of the Venice Film Festival is less glamorous, less exciting, and sometimes even a little dull. Toronto starts, a good portion of the international press leaves, and the most hideous filler of the competition fills the daily program. Not this year, though! Suddenly there's a movie that's even better than The Whale, so don’t worry darlings, today we have some real treats and gallons of drama...

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN by Martin McDonagh
I'm thrilled to report that the movie is even better than its promising trailer. I'm already worried it will lose the Golden Lion to something more audience-friendly.  Darren Aronovsky (The Whale) and Santiago Mitre (Argentina 1985)  have both made more welcoming, “easy” movies. Consider it a CODA/The Power of the Dog face-off. If McDonagh loses the Golden Lion perhaps a prize for screenwriting will happen. He's done remarkable work on The Banshees of Inisherin which capitalizes on its surprising premise with unpredictable plot turns, amazing dialogue, and a strong payoff in the end. 

By now you probably know the premise: Colm (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly ends his long friendship with the good-hearted but dull Padraic (Colin Farrell). Padraic doesn't take it well and can't stay far from his former friend, even when Colm threatens to cut off one of his fingers every time Padraic speaks or interacts with him. Banshees is filled with deliciously mean one-liners. Though it's a black comedy about tedious life on a small island the movie itself is never dull, not even for a second. 

McDonagh and his frequent cinematographer Ben Davis have put visible effort into a recurring composition. A good portion of the movie takes place in the only pub on the Island. McDonagh uses a small, squared window that looks out at the only outside table to divide the characters, underlining interactions (or lack thereof) visually. It's not anything groundbreaking but serves as a reminder that results can be remarkable when narrative developments are paired smartly with visual presentation. The soundtrack is also fascinating, using traditional Irish songs and violin ballads to increase the tension in some passages.

Colin Farrell is the standout and he's just heartbreaking. He plays a “good fellow” but the movie asks you to wonder what really hides behind his kindness, what is its meaning, and what is the social vs personal value? There is also a Shakespearean touch to the proceedings. An old lady (witch or banshee?) who is always wearing a black robe appears predicting deaths in the most ambiguous way. I'll say no more to preserve the surprises but please know that I loved this movie from its very first scene through to the powerful end. 

DON'T WORRY DARLING by Olivia Wilde
Let’s state the obvious upfront: all the off-screen drama, the memes, and the disastrous train wreck of the promotional trail and the Venice premiere have proved to be far more entertaining than the movie itself. I won't describe the plot but will just say that the “revelation” is so predictable that you'll guess what is happening in this ’50s suburban nightmare after just a scene or two. Similarly, I'll refrain from giving you the titles of a couple of other movies that already made the very same choice about how to reveal the “mystery” they built for the audience. The movie is a feminist take, however obvious, but with a little update related to a very specific contemporary fear some men have in their relationships.

Olivia Wilde proves that she can go bigger than in her debut behind the camera (Booksmart) with car chases and wild parties and lots of characters moving about (and even a Dita Von Teese cameo).  But unfortunately it's all very anonymous feeling, lacking any directorial style. The bulk of the problems stem from the screenplay and its impossible-to-miss plot holes. As for Harry Styles, who always pulls focus in media coverage, let’s just say he is fine and does a decent job. But for a popstar turned actor in a role tailored to his/her persona, I preferred Elodie in I Eat Your Heart. 

THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER by Joanna Hogg
Joanna Hogg and Tilda Swinton have been very close friends for 40 years. They tried to do a movie together when they first met, but it did not work out. Hogg chose Swinton as the protagonist of this very personal piece, a project that explores Hogg's complicated relationship with her mother, marked on a certain level by a lack of understanding and a vague sense of guilt. This translates well into a revival of the old-school ghost story in an old English mansion-turned-hotel, all slightly creepy sounds and chilling atmosphere (without a rock-solid story) with a deeper meaning inside. The hotel is perennially surrounded by a moving mist, Sils Maria style. 

The cinematography by Ed Rutherford is superb: the misty grounds sometimes fade the vibrant color (reds and greens mostly) that the hotel provides, turning brilliant tones into pastels. It's a sort of gentler version of Bava’s mastery in using color in horrors, with visible grain. 

Though I loved the cinematography and the general atmosphere, I hated how some answers are suggested, then denied, then put on the table again. Perhaps festival fatigue has kicked in and I need rewatch this one? The more I think of it, the less I can explain what put me off in the first place, which is extremely fitting I suppose given the Swintonesque strangeness. As for the actress she's fine in her role(s) but at this point in her long eccentric career, it's not surprising at all that Tilda would play both the anxious, guilty-filled daughter and her tender, loving mother simultaneously. 

Also...

#1 - Tár, White Noise...
#2 - Bardo False Chronicle of... 
#3 - Bones and All, Monica, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
#4 - The Whale, Argentina 1985, Master Gardener
#5 - L'Immensità, Other People's Children, Love Life...

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[Edwin]

What an odd year this is shaping up to be when a Darren Aronofsky film about a 600-pound man is one of the audience-friendly, “safe” choices.

Something tells me the eventual Best Picture winner has still yet to be screened, but it does appear that both The Whale and The Banshees of Inisherin will be major factors in a few categories. In fact, I’d already almost be willing to bet that McDonagh wins Best Original Screenplay (sorry to Everything Everywhere All At Once).