Small Things Like These

Director Tim Mielants does a skillful job of creating and maintaining a fitting tone for writer Enda Walsh's adaptation of Claire Keegan's original work. The sense of a warm, loving home for Bill and his family is starkly contrasted with the bitterly soul-ravaging reality of what happens at one of the Magdalene institutions maintained by the local nuns as tools for the vile Catholic church. Bill's less than compassionate wife calls him 'soft-hearted', and it is not a compliment. It's more like a mark of weakness that could get him into trouble. He's warned more than once about challenging the nuns and such unthinkable treatment of the girls in their 'care', and each time it's by women. He contrasts them with Mr. Wilson, who took in his unwed mother once she got herself 'in trouble'. Why is it that it's only the girls/women who get punished for such actions? His thoughts on the heinous treatment of one girl in particular are heightened by relating it to his own experiences. Cillian Murphy once again shows his remarkable ability to embody a character able to show such depth of compassion and empathy, even in the face of eminent threat to his own well-being. By contrast, Emily Watson is the epitome of cold, heartless theistic discipline and moral strictness. The cast in general is excellent, w/ other standout work by Devlin, Walsh, and Fairley. 3.7 stars

Not very explicit movie about the Magdalene laundries of Ireland. Rather slow.

Folk acknowledgement grasps beyond the slow burn of tense brewing that’ll leave you hanging then piqued by persuasion to briefly dive into the history it signifies, going beneath the film’s surface to see where the drawn disturbance lies. With that being the case whilst hindered by disjointed ideas, this turned out merely a showcase succeeding “Oppenheimer” with Cillian Murphy stupendously performing the leftover energy into this smaller, reverent picture. (B)

Cillian Murphy is a god

The atmosphere feels right for the setting and subject matter, and the characters seem to be in place. A captivating character study with a very slow to develop minimalist plot.

There's a powerful, timely message here, but if we're being honest the film was also slow and perhaps a tad anticlimactic. Cillian Murphy, an A-lister after Peaky Blinders and Openheimer, can pick his projects now-a-days. He was a good fit for this Irish shocking true story about cruel/criminal nuns; btw Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were behind the project.

The film follows a single, coherent emotional thread with remarkable restraint, eschewing excessive dialogue and flashy plot points. It masterfully portrays a middle-aged man's relapse into childhood trauma, unfolding with a subtle and finely tuned emotional depth. Every scene feels authentic and grounded. While the ending struck me as slightly rushed, it clearly leans into a dream-like quality rather than a naturalistic resolution. I believe this was an intentional choice to remind us that, in reality, there was no true relief or justice for those women. I also found the technical elements of the film top-notch. The production design, especially in recreating the 1950s and 1980s, felt more authentic than many Hollywood films with far larger budgets.

Shockingly bad, Angela’s Ashes erroneously transposed to the mid 80s, just off and dull and listless

Very slow movie, majority of focus on Cillian's character either driving, thinking or having anxiety attacks. Very little on the actual girls or nuns - disappointing. Still great activing, but lacked balance or interest in the reason we went to the movie.

After witnessing a young girl being forced into a Magdalene Laundry, a middle aged man begins to unravel. Childhood trauma and shame, buried deep for decades, now simmer below his reluctant surface. Subtle, beautiful, perfectly cast. The ending - just wow. I am utterly traumatised imagining the fallout from his (some would say selfish) decision.