Could it be Ireland’s time to shine at the 96^th Academy Awards?

Once again, it’s every film lover’s favourite time of year as the nominees for the 96^th Annual Academy Awards were announced recently. After last year’s ceremony left a sour taste in our mouths, we are all ready to hear which of this year’s cohort will be taking home the prestigious Academy Award of Merit. This year especially could be Ireland’s time to shine on the film industry’s world stage. History has already been made by this year’s nominations with the most Irish and Northern Irish nominees in the Oscars near 100-year history representing a surge in Irish talent that has been ignored for far too long.

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, featuring a predominantly Irish cast and crew, picked up nine nominations. This is the second most at this year’s Oscars, and four of them are first time acting nominations. McDonagh’s repertoire may not be the most extensive, but his signature style of ‘absurdist black humour’ has earnt him widespread critical acclaim and plenty of Oscar nominations. It looks this year that he may finally bring home Best Original Screenplay after two previous nominations in the same category. He also stands in strong contention for other nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Also for The Banshees, Colin Farrell’s nomination for Best Actor feels painfully overdue.  Yet, his portrayal of Pádraic, the loveable yet melancholic lead, proves why Farrell is one of the finest actors working today. The film’s supporting cast also bring their A-game earning three first time Best Supporting Actor nominations. Brendon Gleeson and Kerry Condon’s performances both contrast Farrell’s in different ways but elevate the dialogue-heavy film to one that is deeply emotional and nuanced in their exploration of their characters’ relationships. Barry Keoghan solidifies his position as one of the most exciting new talents the industry has to offer with his nomination for what is undoubtedly the most interesting performance in the film. As well as nominations for Best Original Score and Film Editing, Banshees has become the bookies favourite to win big this year: McDonagh showcasing the Irish film industry at its very best. 

Rivalling Colin Farrell for best actor is fellow Irishman Paul Mescal, once again first-time nominee, for his gut-wrenching performance in Charlotte Wells’ semi-biographic indie film Aftersun. Mescal first broke our hearts in the hit series Normal People and again he manages to tug on the very same heart strings as he portrays a young, struggling father to a shining Frankie Corio’s Sophie. What makes Mescal’s performance so special is how much the viewer can buy into it; at times it seems less of a performance and more of a projection of the director’s memory into film. Upon reaching the credits we’re slapped in the face with all sorts of emotions as each subtlety and acting choice in the performance comes full circle. Mescal rightfully earns his place amongst some of the best acting performances of the year.

With these nominations, according to Reuters, Ireland becomes only the third country behind the USA and the UK to have five or more acting nominations at a single Oscars ceremony. This year, Ireland represents a quarter of the acting nominations overall. Elsewhere in the nominations, Irish language film The Quiet Girl became the first film from Ireland to be nominated for Best International Feature and An Irish Goodbye, featuring Northern Irish actors set in their home country, also made its way into Best Short Film category. The 96^th Academy Awards point to an upcoming golden age of Irish cinema, with Belfast’s success last year and the host of nominations picked up by Irish cast and crew this year. Irish filmmaking has proved more than capable of challenging the dominance of the US and British film industries. Irish nominees can expect tough competition this year with Brendan Fraser’s well-earnt comeback story and the mind-bending Everything Everywhere All at Once, but such a high volume of Irish talent amongst the nominations can only be positive. For Irish filmmaking more generally, these awards signal an inspiring new generation of storytellers who embody the rich culture Ireland has to offer.

Featured image credit: Vanity Fair