The Plot: Rural Ireland, winter 1985. Family man and fuel trader Bill (Cillian Murphy) goes about his daily business delivering coal and other supplies to his customers. When making a delivery to the local convent, he becomes concerned at the sight of a young woman being dragged against her will into the convent run by Sister Mary (Emily Watson). Unsure of what to do, he goes home but the incident lingers long in his mind. Having discussed it with his wife Eileen (Eileen Walsh), he knows what’s going on in this Magdalene Laundry but feels powerless to do anything about it. That is, until he encounters Sarah (Zara Devlin) locked in the coal shed in a state of distress…
The Verdict: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ – a quote that has been misattributed to the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke. It’s a theme that lies at the palpitating heart of Small Things Like These. It’s an Irish smalltown drama set not so long ago in a time period that actor and producer Cillian Murphy compared to the dark ages in a recent interview with The Irish Times. He’s not wrong and that’s a sobering fact that is still being processed and dealt with by the Irish society of today. The film recounts lives of quiet desperation, people just carrying on with their daily routines in an oppressive and repressive environment where religion is everywhere and local problems aren’t talked about. After the catalyst incident at the convent, Eileen tells Bill to stay on the right side of people and that if he wants to get on in life there are things he has to ignore. However, Bill can’t ignore this.
Small Things Like These is based on the book by Claire Keegan, who also wrote the story that became the basis for An Cailin Ciuin. It’s adapted here by playwright Enda Walsh, who in a neat side parallel also wrote the script for Murphy’s breakthrough film Disco Pigs. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are also onboard as producer and executive producer respectively to add their own clout, but this isn’t a flashy, awards-seeking affair. If anything, director Tim Mielants goes very much in the opposite direction in tackling the thorny subject of the Magdalene Laundries and the babies snatched away from their young, unmarried mothers. It’s a film that is quietly reflective in how it approaches the character of Bill slowly but gradually coming to terms with the disturbing injustice hiding in plain sight in his small town. Mielants then sets about watching a quiet revolt emerge in the compassionate Bill, who has a daughter around the same age as Sarah (Zara Devlin, giving another fine performance after the similarly-themed, harrowing Ann).
Murphy is the cornerstone element here and his performance is nothing short of remarkable. He internalises a lot of his performance, with his intense blue eyes being readable enough to determine the horror and outrage ticking away in Bill’s mind. A civil cup of tea with Sister Mary is loaded with tension, with a fine Emily Watson channelling a Nurse Ratched-style steely determination and barbed pleasantness. It’s a film where the actors shine consistently, so why then does it just come across as a bit… off? This is one of those films where the dialogue is sparsely used and even then it’s clipped to the point of surgical precision. Much of the film relies heavily on what is left unsaid between the characters. While that’s an admirable approach for Mielants to have towards this sensitive subject matter, it also has the effect of the film not really grasping the nettle. It’s a film where one really wants an upfront conversation between the characters about what’s occurring in the convent and why. It’s just not that film though and how people react to that notable omission might vary.
Rating: 3 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Quietly reflective
Directed by Tim Mielants.
Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley.