The Irish Oscars

The 2023 Academy Awards sees a whooping 14 nominations for the Irish. My pick - Colin Farrell taking it home for 'The Banshees of Inisherin' AND 'In Bruges'.

In 2009, I wrote my first blog. It was the night of the Golden Globes when Tina Fey told her internet haters to suck it on a national stage, and the night Colin Farrell picked up the Best Actor for his role in In Bruges.

When he got on stage, he was sniffing a tad bit or his nose was running, and he said, also on national television, while picking up the award: “This is from the cold, not that other stuff it used to be.”

He came a long way from that night in 2009. Or, he actually made the beautiful circle of exactly where he needs to be. I met Colin in 2004, I did an event for him and you can read about that rollercoaster night in my first published piece.

I watch him differently from that night, having the experience of seeing how much of him he lets stay in his roles. The mannerisms, the way he talks so fast, yet his face has a stillness that shows every tiny drop of emotion; the talent of being nerdy and hot all at the same exact time.

Watching ‘In Bruges’ was a religious experience for me. If you know anything about the movie industry, you already know about the cult status that movie enjoys for decades now.

Colin Farrell teaming up with Brendan Gleeson, the brilliance of that pairing and how well they play off of each other, the lines, the banter, the John Lennon bit and how it plays into the narrative of the plot, but most or all the midget part - if you haven’t watched In Bruges, put it on your must-watch list, an asap one, and if you watched it, it probably was a while ago, I recommend you rewatch it again. People write articles about why In Bruges needs to be revisited again.

As you can tell by my introductory paragraphs, I want to see Colin Farrell lift that Oscar tonight.

When I heard about The Banshees of Inisherin and the repeat pairing of Colin and Brendan Gleeson, my heart skipped a beat. Not just that, but the same writer/director of In Bruges, Martin McDonagh - brilliance was expected, the gang was back together.

Brendan Gleeson, a powerhouse!

As you might as well heard, this year’s Oscars are dubbed - The Irish Oscars.

I’m excited.

Irish moviemakers/actors are one of the best storytellers in the business.

The Banshees of Inisherin is nominated for 9 Oscars. The most nominations for the Irish movie since Belfast and In the Name of the Father, which jointly have 7 nominations each.

Ireland has in total 14 nominations tonight, at the 2023 Academy Awards. Across the categories. But most importantly, a quarter of the acting nominees – Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan – are Irish. And The Quiet Girl/An Cailín Ciúin is the first Irish-language film to be nominated for an Oscar. JJ Abrams put it succinctly: “Seven million people on that island and all of them are nominated.”

There’s something specific about Irish storytelling that I can’t quite put into words. It’s more of a feeling. I’m a big fan of British storytelling but Irish is on a totally different level; it has a rare rawness, simplicity but recognition I don’t feel when I watch American television or even British.

It’s as if the Irish people are in love with words more than others. 

But what gets me the most is the simplicity. It’s always the hardest to create art that is simple; whether is a painting, a song, a movie, or a book - and no one does simple like the Irish. 

Just look at the books by Sally Rooney, an Irish author already dubbed her generation’s Shakespeare, a girl who wrote a cult piece Normal People at only 27 years old.

I have never in my life felt inspired, excited, and a tad jealous as when I read her book. To be able to construct sentences so simply yet so loaded with emotion, it’s an unbelievable, once in a generation talent.

Martin McDonagh, the writer/director of ‘In Bruges’ and ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, again, the simplicity. Uncomplicated plots with quality dialogues, references that we all relate to, smart narrative, soul, heart.

You can see how hard it is by trying to paint a painting you think is simple or try writing a few simple sentences that would have the same emotion as the ones you read someone else do.

You can’t.

Paul Mescal, an Irish actor that played the role of Connell in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’, also being nominated for his role in ‘Aftersun’. Only a few roles under his belt, and the first lead role earns him an Oscar nomination. To be a newcomer and act the way Paul does, it’s an experience and awe just to witness it.

Daniel Day-Lewis, dubbed as the greatest actor in history, and the only actor with 3 Best Actor Oscars; his storytelling, the roles he played, who can watch ‘In The Name of the Father’ and not be emotionally altered for life?

Colin.

I don’t know where to begin, how proud I am of his path and journey. Professionally and privately. Being that talented, beautiful can be a nuisance more than it can be an advantage, oftentimes; the way Colin Farrell transitioned from the hottest, messiest, dramatic thing to such stand-out, quality roles, I mean Penguin in ‘Batman’ before this but then ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’?

Wow.

To be fair, I did not manage to find time to watch all of the movies for all of the nominees. I did not watch ‘Elvis’. Everyone’s saying Austin Butler will probably take it home.

But Colin’s role in this movie where the brilliance of the plot is only about two friends where one decided he doesn’t want to be friends with the other anymore, and the quiet emotion of disappointment, rejection, confusion he played without saying a word, with his face expressions (with the help of his world famous eyebrows); if that’s not a Daniel Day Lewis-esque type of performance, storytelling, and existence in the creative space, then I don’t know what warrants an Academy Award, if not this.

Whatever happens tonight, Colin, it’s an honor.

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