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I r ish Ar ts & Enter tainment
An M ar ta
Ir ish Act or s Colin Far r ell an d Br en dan Gleeson Hon or ed at San t a Bar bar a Film Fest ival Story and Photos by Barbara Singer Th e Ir ish f ilm ?Ban sh ees of In ish er in? h as been an im m en se aw ar ds con t en der . Dir ect or M ar t in M cDon agh w r ot e t h is f ilm f or beloved Ir ish act or s Colin Far r ell an d Br en dan Gleeson . Bot h act or s h ave h ad a lon gt im e af f ect ion f or each ot h er an d bot h ar e f ir st t im e Oscar n om in ees f or t h eir r oles in t h is f ilm an d r ecen t ly h ave gar n er ed n u m er ou s aw ar ds an d accolades
n om in at ion .
Th e ?Ban sh ees of In ish er in? w as t w o t im e w in n er at t h e BAFTAS f or Ou t st an din g Br it ish Film an d Best Or igin al Scr een play by M ar t in M cDon agh .
In ?Th e Ban sh ees of In ish er in? t h ese t w o m en ar e best f r ien ds, w h ich t ak es an abr u pt t u r n , Padr aic (Far r ell) w as an over ly em ot ion al you n g m an , act in g in appr opr iat e in pu blic an d h is best f r ien d Colm (Gleeson ) does n ot w an t t o be f r ien ds w it h h im an ym or e, n o r eason st at ed. Colm is m elan ch oly an d r ar ely con ver ses an d r ef u ses t o even speak w it h Padr aic, w h o is disr au gh t an d can't u n der st an d t h is ch an ge of h ear t . Th is is a ser iou s f allou t w it h disast r ou s con sequ en ces.
Th e 2023 San t a Bar bar a In t er n at ion al Film Fest ival (SBIFF) aw ar ded Colin Far r ell an d Br en dan Gleeson t h eir covet ed Cin em a Van gu ar d Aw ar d in Febr u ar y. Th is aw ar d, pr esen t ed at t h e h ist or ic Ar lin gt on Th eat er , is a br igh t ligh t in t h e year ly f est ival payin g t r ibu t e t o act or s, w h o h ave f or ged t h eir ow n pat h t ak in g ar t ist ic r isk s an d m ak in g sign if ican t an d u n iqu e con t r ibu t ion t o f ilm . Roger Du r lin g, Execu t ive Dir ect or of t h e SBIFF r elat ed abou t bot h Ir ish act or s, ?Th ey 'r e a joy t o beh old an d it 's qu it e a t r eat f or u s t o get t o celebr at e t h em t oget h er .? Ar r ivin g at t h e Ar lin gt on Th eat er Colin Far r ell an d Br en dan Gleeson w alk ed t h e Red Car pet , ch at t ed w it h m edia an d f an s an d t ook a blast of ph ot os. Wh en t h e ligh t s w en t dow n in side, Dave Kar ger , Host of Tu r n er Classics M ovies an d aw ar d-w in n in g in t er view er w as at t h e h elm an d explor ed t h e car eer s of t h e t w o st ar s discu ssin g t h eir w or k w it h m on t ages of t h eir f ilm s. Som e of Far r ell's w or k con sist ed of : ?Tiger lan d?, ?Th e Lobst er ? an d ?Bat m an?; w h ile Gleeson w as r em em ber ed f or ?Th e Gen er al,? ?Cold M ou n t ain? an d ?In t o t h e St or m .? Bot h act or s w or k ed t oget h er 14 year s ago in M ar t in M cDon agh's ?In Br u ges,? w h er e t h ey w er e cast as u n lik ely h it m en . Br en dan Gleeson w as bor n in Du blin , Ir elan d is an act or an d dir ect or an d h as r eceived m an y aw ar ds f or h is w or k w it h 5 Golden Globe n om in at ion s an d a BAFTA an d Academ y Aw ar d n om in at ion w it h an Em m y Aw ar d f or h is por t r ayal of Win st on Ch u r ch ill. He w as a f or m er Cat h olic Sch ool t each er bef or e em bar k in g on an act in g car eer . Bor n in Cast ler ock Du blin , Colin Far r ell h as been a su ccessf u l leadin g m an in m an y m em or able r oles an d h as r eceived t w o Golden Globe Aw ar ds an d an Academ y Aw ar d
Du r lin g w as cer t ain w h en h e st at ed,?Gleeson an d Far r ells's in dividu al car eer s h ave been exem plar y, an d t h eir collabor at ion s in t w o M cDon agh f ilm s sh ow u s t w o act or s per f ect ly in syn c-in bot h pat h os an d h u m or .? Th ese t w o act or s h ave a deep f r ien dsh ip an d af f ect ion f or each ot h er . Th ey f ir st m et in 2006 an d m ade an im m ediat e con n ect ion .
M ar t in M cDon agh r elat ed t h at ?No ot h er act or s in t h e w or ld cou ld h ave played t h ese ch ar act er s. No on e else h as t h e in t egr it y, sen sit ivit y an d gen t len ess t o sh ow t h e f r agilit y an d qu iet despair by t h ose m en , an d t o do so w it h ou t ju dgem en t , in st ead of leavin g it f or t h e au dien ce t o decide w h o is r igh t or w h o is w r on g. An d t o do all t h at w h ile st ill bein g h ilar iou s.? He pr esen t ed t h e Cin em a Van gu ar d aw ar ds t o Colin Far r ell an d Br en dan Gleeson in f r on t of t h e deligh t ed an d r ecept ive San t a Bar bar a au dien ce.