Quiet Girl and Banshees

Well the list is out for the Oscars. There’s loads I haven’t seen but in the same way that I like to sample the Booker shortlist, I’ve been having a go at catching up with the nominees

I’ve been working my way through some of the Irish offerings this weekend. Last night I watched Banshees of Inisherin and I have just finished The Quiet Girl.

I know Banshees is getting high praise indeed, and I can see it is the sort of thing that wins awards, but although I admired it, I didn’t love it.  It looks lovely and the conceit is very clever, with the civil war in the background, and the artist giving all up for his art, regardless of cost.  The black comedy is clever - the smack of the finger hitting the door is both awful and funny, as is the tragedy that results from the petty squabble that just goes on and on, indefinitely it seems. I realise I am swimming against the tide here but it felt a bit caricatured to me and I just wasn’t convinced despite the heavy lifting by Colin Farrell’s eyebrows.  

The Quiet Girl though, is both beautiful and heartbreaking.   Also set in rural Ireland but of the 1980s, and largely in the Irish language,  it is quietly understated throughout, and all the more moving because of it.  Based on the novella Foster by Clare Keegan, it's about a girl from a poor Irish family spending the summer with relatives.  It looks lovely, lots of lingering scenes of family and farm life.  Nothing really happens, but everything happens in the undercurrents that we can see in the little  daily interactions of the families, including the feuds, heartbreak and love.  Loved it.  

I have raved about Aftersun before and although I am disappointed to see it isn’t up for Best Picture,  I am thrilled to see that Paul Mescal has the chance to take a Best Actor award back to Ireland - he’s my top pick so far.  And just spotted Frankie Corio is also getting nominations. Again, well deserved.  

I’ll keep wading my way through the rest - a tough job but someone has to do it.