The Next Picture Show

#350: McDonagh's Discontented Duos Pt. 1 — In Bruges

Martin McDonagh’s THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN reunites the writer-director with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, stars of his debut film IN BRUGES, for another tale of a platonic breakup between wordy Irishmen, in a very different but equally picturesque setting. This week we’re joined by critic Siddhant Adlakha to head back to Belgium circa 2008 and examine how IN BRUGES engages with its titular city on a dramatic, comedic, and thematic level, how McDonagh blends theatrical and cinematic languages, and what gets revealed and obscured in the film’s many meandering, profane exchanges. Plus, with various interpretations of TÁR rolling in since our last episode, we take up one listener’s reading of what the film shows us, and what it leaves out.
Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about IN BRUGES, BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Outro music: “On Raglan Road,” by The Dubliners
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Looking at cinema's present via its past. The Next Picture Show is a biweekly roundtable by the former editorial team of The Dissolve examining how classic films inspire and inform modern movies. Episodes take a deep dive into a classic film and its legacy in the first half, then compare and contrast that film with a modern successor in the second. Hosted and produced by Genevieve Koski, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson and Scott Tobias.