Small Things Like These
It's not like we required any further proof that Cillian Murphy is a very, very special, once-in-a-generation type of actor, but we get it in spades nevertheless here, as his typically spellbinding performance sits squarely at the centre of Tim Mielant's elegant adaptation of Claire Keegan's 2021 unsettling historical novel, which centres around the horrors of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. When coal yard owner Bill Furlong delivers to a convent in 80s Ireland, the sights he sees, especially one concerning encounter, raise all manner of unresolved demons in his troubled psyche, & he finds himself mired in a deeply disruptive moral dilemma that threatens his family, his community & his sanity. Unquestionably keeping the entire film moving forward so extraordinarily is Murphy's tangible charisma, talent, & depth of inhabiting his role - not joking, sometimes you forget to breathe when watching him act, so transported do you become. Try it at this screening; you'll keep hearing people in the audience exhale massively. Staggering, deeply moving - fundamental cinema, anchored by a masterclass in quietly perfect acting. Best Actor Oscar, 2025, you say?
2024 / 12A / 1h 38min / Drama