Cillian Murphy Battles Silence and Secrets in ‘Small Things Like These’
Step aside, blockbuster explosions and CGI dinosaurs, because Cillian Murphy’s latest venture, “Small Things Like These,” takes us to a universe far grimmer yet deeply resonant. It’s the subtle art of navigating the human condition, and Murphy is a maestro at it.
In a follow-up to his Oscar-winning performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer—yes, folks, that’s the physicist who invented the atom bomb while having a bit of an existential crisis—Murphy dives headfirst into the brooding waters of 1980s Ireland in Small Things. Here, he doesn’t wrestle with the fate of the world but with his own conscience. Talk about a change of pace!
Plot Thickens—In More Ways Than One
Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a somewhat grim coal and timber merchant who stumbles upon a dark secret involving a young girl held captive by nuns. Let’s be real: you’re more likely to find a unicorn at a local pub than a happy ending in a story about nuns in Ireland. It’s like “Little House on the Prairie,” but instead of teaching life lessons, it gives you a seminar on the Church’s dark side.
“This is a very familiar type to me,” says Murphy, who’s apparently well-acquainted with the depth of the contemplative Irish male. Like most chaps from the Emerald Isle, Furlong is reluctant to speak and prefers the company of his own thoughts—sometimes to a fault. “He walks with his eyes toward the ground,” Murphy adds, which sounds a lot like my last trip to the supermarket, but I digress.
Timing is Everything
Murphy’s journey to this role was as serendipitous as finding an empty seat at the bar on St. Patrick’s Day. When he found out the rights to Claire Keegan’s acclaimed novel were available, it was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Murphy calls it a miracle and insists the film must reflect the book’s “quiet tone.” Because nothing screams Hollywood thrills like… silence.
Director Tim Mielants and Murphy seem to have a spiritual connection to the narrative, wrestling with themes of guilt and complicity. Mielants gets all philosophical, saying, “With the Catholic Church, there’s always this sense that if you’re silent, you’re complicit.” Well, isn’t that the understatement of the century? Let’s just say, if silence was gold, we’d have some very rich Irish towns by now!
Digging into the Past
So why set a film in Ireland about the Catholic Church’s secrets during the 1980s? Let me take you down a historical rabbit hole—welcome to the Magdalene Laundries! These ghostly places were where fallen women went for “rehabilitation,” which mostly meant good ol’ forced labor and a healthy dose of shame. Sweet, right?
Murphy’s portrayal is intense, comparable to other greats like Barry Keoghan and Saoirse Ronan, who also learned the ropes of acting in the schools of hardship and emotional turmoil known as Irish life. You’ve got to love the Irish knack for turning pain into penance—or, at least, a fantastic cinematic experience.
The Irish Storyteller’s Secret
But how does Ireland keep spitting out these cinematic gems? Murphy, still laughing from the existential abyss of his character, asserts, “It’s all about storytelling.” Yeah, sure, and I thought it was just about crying into a Guinness!
He explains, “Have you been to a small pub in a small town in Ireland? If you have, you know the art of storytelling flows like the drinks.” If that’s true, then I guess we owe our love for drama to the hundreds of Irish pubs. Cheers to that!
Conclusion
So, grab your popcorn and maybe a tissue or two because “Small Things Like These” is not merely a film but an exploration into the shadows cast by the church, the weight of silence, and the steep price of complicity. Come for Cillian Murphy’s captivating performance, stay for the unflinching look at the dark corners of not just Irish history, but humanity itself.
Watch the trailer for Oscar winner Cillian Murphy’s new movie “Small Things Like These.”
Cillian Murphy stars in “Small Things Like These,” where he confronts personal dilemmas in a repressive Irish society.
Based on the award-winning novel inspired by real events in 1980s Ireland, the film showcases a time when the Catholic Church held immense influence over the populace. As Bill Furlong, an introspective coal and timber merchant portrayed by Murphy, he grapples with his conscience upon discovering a pregnant young girl imprisoned by nuns, torn between his instinct to help and his fear of community ostracism.
Describing his character, Murphy states, “This is a very familiar type to me, the silent Irish male who is a deep thinker.” He resonates with Bill’s portrayal, a character who embodies the struggles of many Irish men who often remain tight-lipped about their emotions. “In the novel, it says Bill walks with his eyes toward the ground and he finds it difficult to make eye contact with people. I know that type of Irishman.”
Murphy reflects on the serendipitous circumstances that led to the creation of “Small Things.” He sought a collaboration with Belgian director Tim Mielants, whom he had met on the set of “Peaky Blinders.” The project took shape when his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, suggested adapting Claire Keegan’s poignant 2021 book, which had swiftly captivated Irish readers and became a modern classic.
He describes the process as almost miraculous, claiming, “It was a miracle in a way, and meant to be.” The intricacies of the film needed to mirror the book’s tone, leading to a commitment to producing a contemplative cinematic piece. “It needed to be a quiet film,” Murphy asserts.
In “Small Things Like These,” the atmosphere is thick with unspoken tension, illustrating the palpable fear in a small Irish village where the church’s authority looms large. Murphy’s portrayal of the awkward Bill, filled with restraint, powerfully underscores how the community hushed its pregnant young women into silence.
Mielants felt a personal connection to the narrative as well, emphasizing themes of grief and complicity that echo throughout the film. He expressed, “With the Catholic Church, there’s always this sense that if you’re silent, you’re complicit.” This sentiment resonates deeply considering the longstanding exposure of injustices faced by women within the church’s establishments.
The Irish Catholic Church’s controversial Magdalene Laundries have been a focal point of these churning narratives. The scandal erupted in 1993 when a mass grave was uncovered at a convent laundry in Dublin, revealing the dark realities faced by “fallen women” who had been subjected to labor and forced adoptions under the church’s auspices.
Mielants is keen to expose the layers of silence inherent in such communities. “You get the denial, the anger, the paranoia and the acceptance,” he notes, alluding to the complexities hidden beneath the surface of seemingly quaint Irish village life. Murphy’s performance invites viewers to delve into this intricate emotional landscape.
Murphy’s emotionally charged embodiment of Bill parallels the powerful portrayals by fellow Irish talents such as Saoirse Ronan and Daniel Day-Lewis. Unsurprisingly, the question arises—what fosters the emergence of such remarkable acting prowess among Irish artists? Murphy muses humorously about the perceived mystery of it.
Reflecting on the storytelling tradition, he shares, “Have you been to a small pub in a small town in Ireland? If you have, you know that it’s a place where people are there just telling stories.” His words evoke the rich legacy of narrative that defines Irish culture, borne from centuries of experiences including colonial oppression and social strife.
Murphy concludes, “I don’t know the answer to your question. But I do know we’re good at story.”
Justices and abuses within church institutions, particularly in Ireland.
The film “Small Things Like These” does not shy away from confronting these difficult themes. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, it delves into the darker aspects of society under the influence of a powerful religious institution, where silence often equates to complicity. Murphy’s character, Bill Furlong, battles with this moral quandary as he grapples with the societal pressures of conformity versus his innate sense of justice.
As Bill discovers the plight of a young pregnant girl confined by nuns, his internal struggle intensifies. Murphy notes that this resonates with a broader narrative woven throughout Irish storytelling, where characters often face the weight of their choices amid oppressive societal norms. “It’s about the impact of silence and the consequences of inaction,” Murphy explains. His performance captures not only Bill’s personal turmoil but also a commentary on the cultural psyche that has long overshadowed discussions around such sensitive issues.
Director Tim Mielants highlights how Irish culture has historically paralleled this tension, rooted deeply in storytelling traditions that evoke emotional depth and communal narratives. “In small Irish pubs, the art of storytelling remains alive,” Murphy quips, suggesting that many of these stories arise from real pain and experience, blending sorrow with humor in true Irish fashion.
“Small Things Like These” serves as a reminder to audiences that the ripples of silence can be more powerful than we might imagine, calling for a reflective look at not just Irish history, but at universal themes of humanity. It invites viewers to empathize with the struggles of those trapped by their circumstances, and perhaps most importantly, to choose the path of speaking out over succumbing to silence.
As the credits roll, viewers are left with more than just a story; they are faced with questions of complicity, moral responsibility, and the power of voice in the face of injustice. For those ready to confront these darker conversations within a filmic experience, “Small Things Like These” promises to deliver a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the shadows that linger within society.
