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There’s a moment in The Banshees of Inisherin, where you can see Colin Farrell‘s soul being crushed.
In the new film from writer and director Martin McDonagh—best known for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri—Farrell plays Pádraic Súilleabháin, a farmer on a small Irish island in 1923. His best friend and drinking buddy, Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson), has just told him that he no longer wants to hang out with him anymore. Pádraic didn’t do anything in particular to offend Colm; Colm just finds him boring, and wants to spend his brief time on Earth writing fiddle tunes rather than talking about the contents of Pádraic’s animals’ shit. Farrell’s face shifts from confused to heartbroken in a matter of moments. It’s further proof that it’s time for Colin Farrell to get an Oscar nomination.
At this point, it’s just sort of crazy that Colin Farrell hasn’t been recognized by the Academy in any capacity. Since his rise to fame in the early 2000s, he has shaken off his initial tabloid reputation to become one of the most fascinating actors in the industry, one whose presence always adds nuance to whatever movie he’s in. And yet he still somehow feels underrated, like someone who you can just count on to be good rather than someone who you reward for being good.