We look back at a stellar year for Colin Farrell. Is Oscar Glory around the corner?
It’s fair to say that Colin Farrell’s career has taken enigmatic turns. He’s danced between occasional attempts to be a major blockbuster star in the likes of Total Recall and he’s had plenty of success in the indie film world, particularly with a couple of memorable collaborations with Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer). He’s also been part of some cult films, and Yorgos collabs aside, perhaps most memorably in his team-ups with Martin McDonagh in Seven Psychopaths and especially In Bruges.
It could all have been so different, as Farrell auditioned to be part of Irish boy band Boyzone. He didn’t make the cut. He began in British TV and gained a little notoriety on the show Ballykissangel. A few parts in American films came, including Tigerland and Hart’s War but his first major role came in one of Steven Spielberg’s last great sci-fi films, Minority Report. He stood out as an actor with presence and charisma. Breakout roles were bound to follow and duly did.
Farrell got in on the comic book surge, playing the villain in Daredevil. Sadly the film was a critical and commercial disappointment. By a stark contrast, the small-scale but enthralling Joel Schumacher film Phone Booth was an engaging leading role for Farrell. It’s been like that ever since with the occasional good run and a few duds.
Usually, it’s the more mainstream material, or spectacle driven films which don’t work quite so well for Farrell, such as Artemis Fowl. For Farrell, it seemed for a time he was caught between being a leading man or being a character actor. For the most part, the larger scale leading roles haven’t quite taken off, whether it’s the aforementioned Total Recall reboot, Fright Night reboot or Miami Vice reboot… maybe he should steer clear of reboots?
One thing is clear though, when Farrell is on it he’s great. There’s always been a lingering question among some critics though. Is he Oscar calibre? More on the answer to this later but for Farrell, 2022 has been a home run, a perfect game, a bullseye. It’s also worth considering that the three time Golden Globe nominee won his first nod for In Bruges and might consider himself unfortunate not to have received a nomination at the Oscars for that.
Farrell surprised many with his chameleon-like qualities in his first role of 2022, playing the Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. It’s a stark moody film. It looks glorious. There are good performances throughout but the consensus was felt that no one really nailed their respective roles. Pattinson is good but not great, Dano likewise, the usually brilliant Andy Serkis somewhat undercooked and out of place. Zoe Kravitz was good too but perhaps playing a role which felt distinctly archetypal (we are of course dealing in a genre built on these though).
However, the one actor who nailed his role above what was given to him on the page, who disappeared into that role and stole every scene was Colin Farrell. He’s by some stretch the standout performer in the film. In fact in the early buzz surrounding the film and the initial excited reactions, many tipped Farrell as an outside Oscar chance. It’s highly unlikely however and weirdly, has The Batman been a little forgotten in the past 10 months? Tom Cruise and James Cameron have perhaps swept Bats under the carpet somewhat.
Next came a gripping, if underseen, disaster film from Ron Howard. Thirteen Lives is based on an incredible and harrowing true story of the rescue of young boys in Thailand, trapped in a series of underground (and flooding) caves. It’s well cast and taut, even if it’s not quite as effective as the documentary, The Rescue (which covered the same event).
Along with Viggo Mortensen and Joel Edgerton (as well as the Thai cast), Farrell is excellent. It’s not a film about arcs, it’s about a here-and-now event with immediacy and about the kind of astonishing heroism required to pull off such a rescue. That put Farrell two for two with very good films, both of which could legitimately adorn a Top 10 list for the year (though narrowly outside for me).
As well as being able to pull off intense characters, or roguishly charismatic, Farrell has often had an ability to play endearing characters too. In Banshees of Inisherin he plays a kind and simple Irish villager living on an island whose main pass time is spending time in the pub with his best friend (Brendan Gleeson). Banshees is one of the best films of 2022 and my own personal favourite. It’s impeccably written and undoubtedly the best script of the year. It’s blessed with skilled direction, beautiful cinematography and music. The cast is the biggest strength and Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan are all well worth receiving an Oscar nomination.
If I’m to pick the standout of the film though, by a whisker, it’s Farrell. It’s the hound dog eyes and the skill with which his character takes the starkest and most telling transition in the film. His kindness is broken down by his struggle in comprehending why his best friend’s existential crisis means he’s kicked to the friendship curb. The film turns into dark territory without ever losing the pitch perfect black humour. Farrell’s adept dancing between breaking your heart and making you howl with laughter is the work of a master craftsman. In fact, Farrell should be nailed on as Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars ceremony. Anything less would be a (Will Smith delivered) slap to the face.
Sure, the Oscars put their consideration regarding actors’ performance purely on the film at hand. There’s just something about such an incredible year and range of performances from Farrell that deserve plenty of recognition, but even if he’d delivered only Banshees, he’s still the man who should take home the gold. Were the Academy to ignore him in the nominations completely, it would be a big surprise.
In truth ‘Oscar fodder’ has been a little weak this past year and audiences have largely favoured quirkier films and indies. Thus there’s room for a little British film set in Ireland to grab plenty of attention. 8 Golden Globe nods are no guarantee that the Oscars will follow suit, but to ignore Farrell in particular would be a travesty.
What are your thoughts on Colin Farrell? What’s been his best performance of the year? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth….
Tom Jolliffe is an award-winning screenwriter and passionate cinephile. He has a number of films out on DVD/VOD around the world and several releases due out in 2022/2023, including, Renegades (Lee Majors, Danny Trejo, Michael Pare, Tiny Lister, Nick Moran, Patsy Kensit, Ian Ogilvy, and Billy Murray), Crackdown, When Darkness Falls and War of The Worlds: The Attack (Vincent Regan). Find more info at the best personal site you’ll ever see here.
