ColinFarrell – Credits Rolling

What do you do when your friend doesn’t want to be your friend anymore?

That is a question that Padraic (Colin Farrell) asks when Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly ends their friendship. He doesn’t believe it to be true and he vows to do whatever he can to make amends, much to the dismay of his sister Sioban (Kerry Condon), the troubled Dominic (Barry Keoghan) and the other islanders. But no matter how hard Padraic tries, Colm’s mind has been made up.

I know that we’re barely two months into the year, but I have to tip my hat off to The Banshees of Inisherin. This is a movie that will make my favorites list by the end of the year, it was that good. And it’s surprising that I say this because I didn’t even think that I wanted to see it at first.

What seems like a simple and straightforward story takes on something a lot more complex. We all know what it is like to break up with a friend; at times it can hurt more than breaking up with a romantic partner and this depiction was certainly unique. Throughout the film, I understood where each character was coming from, their actions and the consequences that stemmed from them. Colm wanting to move on for more enriching friendships made total sense to me, whereas I also felt bad for Padraic and his complete despair over the situation. The way in which the supporting characters dealt with the fallout was also on point.

Everything about this movie seemed so real to me. I don’t know how else to describe it. Not only were the characters brought to life in phenomenal performances by everyone involved, the beautiful Irish landscapes helped me escape for a couple of hours. I could have sat there even longer, learning even more about these people’s lives, eager to see what would happen next.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a special film that is not to be missed. I’ve been on a roll with all these Oscar noms lately, but I have to say I think this one may be the best yet.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

When serial killer The Riddler (Paul Dano) starts targeting political members of Gotham City, leaving behind a trial of clues in his wake, Batman (Robert Pattinson) takes it upon himself to find out why. Striking up partnerships with James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) to unmask the culprit and bring justice to all, Batman soon realizes that The Riddler’s motivations are much more personal than he thought.

I was so, so hesitant to check out this latest venture into Batman’s story. The Dark Knight is one of my all time favorite films and it is what got me into the superhero genre to begin with. I didn’t understand why the story needed to be redone. When I say I went into this cautiously, that was an understatement. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say that I wound up being pleasantly surprised.

This version of our beloved vigilante is much darker and that sets the tone for what’s to come. This paved the way for the Riddler which is by far one of the most intimidating villains I’ve ever seen. Paul Dano’s performance was out of this world; I really commend him for taking it as far as he did. The casting in general was on point. I loved what Zoë Kravitz did with Selina Kyle and Jeffrey Wright is brilliant as Gordon. I also can’t forget Colin Farrell who portrayed the Penguin. I didn’t even realize it was him!

As for Robert Pattinson, when news broke that he was casted as the lead, I really did not know what to think. Like many before me, when they think of him, their minds automatically go to Twilight. I really wasn’t sure if he’d be the right fit for this. I appreciate that he put his own stamp on the role and think he did well with it, however, I can’t say that I prefer him to Christian Bale.

Overall, The Batman was much better than I expected it to be and for that I am glad. In spite of the nearly three hour run time, the first chapter of this new story ticked all of the right boxes and I cannot wait for more.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥