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Small Things like These
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02:10
Small Things like These
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- 2024
- Tim Mielants
- 98 mins
- 12A
Summary
Historical drama starring Cillian Murphy. It's Christmas 1985 in County Wexford, where coal merchant Bill, devoted father to five daughters but still troubled by a traumatic past, chances upon an imprisoned girl in freezing conditions when delivering to the local convent laundry. It's soon apparent this is just one part of a larger system of church oppression that threatens to blow his family life apart.
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Review
A star rating of 4 out of 5.
James Mottram
A quietly intense Cillian Murphy stars in this drama set in Ireland in the mid-1980s, when the Catholic Church's Magdalene laundries were incarcerating and exploiting so-called "fallen" women. Adapted by playwright Enda Walsh (Hunger) from Claire Keegan's 2020 novel, the film stars Murphy as Bill Furlong, a father of five who runs a coal business in County Wexford. Having experienced a difficult childhood himself, Furlong is compelled to take action after he encounters a traumatised young girl locked in the coal shed at the local convent. Director Tim Mielants, who worked with Murphy on Peaky Blinders, takes great care in establishing the milieu, beautifully re-creating the feel of Ireland, which could easily pass for the 1950s with its dark streets and overcast outlook. Emily Watson excels as the convent's Mother Superior, and it's her scenes with Murphy that linger the most, emotions held in check in a story that simmers until it leaves its audience boiling over with rage.
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6.7/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameBill FurlongCillian MurphyEileen FurlongEileen WalshSr. MaryEmily WatsonSr. CarmelClare DunnePatPatrick RyanBarryPeter ClaffeyPjIan O'ReillyMrs. KehoeHelen BehanSarah RedmondZara DevlinSarah's MotherSarah Morris
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Crew
rolenameDirectorTim MielantsWriterEnda WalshWriterClaire KeeganProducerMatt DamonProducerCatherine MageeProducerAlan MoloneyProducerCillian MurphyComposerSenjan JansenDirector of photographyFrank van den EedenEditorAlain DessauvageCastingMaureen HughesProduction designerPaki Smith
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Details
Theatrical distributor
Lionsgate
Released on
2024-11-01
Languages
English | Scottish Gaelic
Formats
Colour
News & features about Small Things like These
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Cillian Murphy's critically acclaimed Small Things Like These now streaming in UK
The Oscar winner stars in the adaptation of the novel by Claire Keegan.
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Cillian Murphy on "genius" of ambiguous Small Things Like These ending
The adaptation of Claire Keegan's acclaimed novel is now showing in cinemas.
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