11 Comments

Seeing "Banshees" was enough to make me rewatch "The Whale" for comic relief.

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I finally watched this. And here, background is important. I come from Irish stock and have even spent three months in Ireland 45 years ago. My wife had been to Ireland twice. Steeped in Irish culture, I expect more than Riverdance or Celtic Women. But the notion of cutting off finger was really repellant to me personally - not offensive, so I am not expecting others to have the same reaction.

As far as the civil war I did not really see much of a metaphor. And when the long suffering sister moved back to the mainland - well yes. Finally someone made the right move.

I say this as a person with a BFA and MFA and a still active photographer. But in this case the details (for me) did not sell the story.

PS: the history of Ireland is of a lively people who - after the famine lost their spark. Growing up among many Irish Americans, seeing 2 unmarried men ramble through life reminds of my father’s friends who married late if they married at all.

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Obviously a failure of imagination on my part as I found it appallingly depressing from beginning to end.

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Nov 14, 2022Liked by Sonny Bunch

Just saw Banshees today at my local Art House Cinema (here in MT).

Really a wonderful movie and can't really pigeon-hole it (which is good). The person who introduced it to us (the audience) described it as a fairy tale and I think that's very apt.

The setting and cinematography are gorgeous and the work of the actors is fantastic! Funny, emotional, puzzling and beautiful.

I also think it is more a parable than a metaphor--open to many interpretations as Sonny points out with his description of this as a metaphor for the Irish Civil War as well as Thanksgiving and the silliness of the US "national divorce" talk.

It's a movie with meanings and themes (like any good art) that are very much more than a reductive metaphor. Really a well done film and would recommend it highly. (Definitely will be up for awards)

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(Banned)Nov 12, 2022Liked by Sonny Bunch

Been looking for a reason to see Banshees.

Thanks!

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Nov 11, 2022Liked by Sonny Bunch

I really enjoyed your interview with Julia Alexander. I’ve never considered myself a big comedy fan, but I could identify with the “bad day at work, give me comedy” scenario.

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Nov 11, 2022Liked by Sonny Bunch

Great review of Black Panther...I haven't seen it yet, but my "rule of cool" nerd fantasy was that Dr. Doom was backing Namor, and you could even make a colonial vibe with Latveria, but it sounds like they made him promote Ironheart instead of doing something we actually wanted.

If you told us before the first one that Klaw would back Killmonger who would overthrow T'challa in a badass ego fight to the death we would say...cooooll. If you told us before this Namor would invade Wakanda we would say...ok that's interesting...and then if you told us they would make Ironheart an important character we would all...kinda start to squirm.

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