Based on the novel by Claire Keegan, Little things like that
is a quietly profound and meaningful film that shows us the story as it unfolds rather than telling it. Through well-placed flashbacks and a good-hearted protagonist, Cillian Murphy’s Bill Furlong, director Tim Mielants’ film is not only a loyal film adaptation – thanks to Enda Walsh’s lovely script – but a moving story about how the threat of powerful institutions continues. people say or do anything to help out of fear. Mielants’ film does a lot with little dialogue, setting the stage for something rich and thought-provoking.
The brave have a lot to lose, and Little things like that is effective in its treatment of Bill’s story. A coal merchant, Bill delivers bags to various people and locations in his small Irish town. At home, he has five daughters and a wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh), to care for. The family survives and often faces financial difficulties, especially at Christmas time, but Bill is haunted by Sarah (Zara Devlin), a young woman at the Magdalene Laundry, an institution run by Catholic nuns, who begs for his help the day after Bill enter. .
Little things like these make for rich storytelling
Bill is warm, soft-hearted and kind. He is generally reserved, but we can see hints of Eileen’s frustration with him in his refusal to open up. Meeting Sarah brings Bill back to his past, and this is where the film’s flashbacks come into the story. Mielants deftly handles these moments, and while it takes a while to get used to the story, we begin to understand it better through exceptionally staged scenes and interactions.
Little things like that it is not a film that is interested in providing us with information; It asks us to focus and pay attention, to be patient along its journey. The emotional payoff is earned at the end, and the tension is built slowly throughout the film, so that when a confrontation occurs between Bill and Sister Mary, the convent’s Mother Superior (Chernobyl(Emily Watson), it turns out – subtleties with underlying threats never spoken aloud – gave me goosebumps. The film is cutting as it explores our responsibilities in a society that covers things up and makes innocent people pay the price.
…Little things like that imagine what someone who acts according to the morals that everyone claims to have would do in this situation.
Bill, sensing something is wrong from the start and even seeing it with his own eyes, struggles to decide what to do. We watch the conflict play out on his face and in his body language. His mind is not at ease, while others suggest that he should stay away from things that do not concern him directly. In this case, Bill can draw on his own experiences growing up with a mother who had him out of wedlock but who was cared for by Mrs. Wilson (Michelle Fairley) and Ned (Mark McKenna), who worked for Mrs. Wilson, after Bill’s death. your mother.
In many ways, Little things like that imagine what someone who acts according to the morals that everyone claims to have would do in this situation. It is an ideal to some extent, but a palpable one, as it underlines social consent in horrific situations, regardless of an individual act. Such a film, although set in the 80s, is always timely considering the never-ending atrocities in our world. The film asks us what we would do if we put Bill in the middle of all this; his struggles are obvious as he internally struggles with himself to make a decision.
Small Things Like These features a stunning performance from Cillian Murphy
Your performance here is mesmerizing
Bill is a character who is not completely against anything, nor does he consider himself a fair person. The fact that he is such a quiet observer makes Little things like that I feel more distressing and urgent. Murphy is perfect as Bill, turning inward in body and mind. The film’s sparse dialogue means the actor relies more on his physicality to express Bill’s inner turmoil. Murphy does this perfectly, bringing us into his pain in a thoughtful way that evokes a multitude of feelings.
Whether Murphy is lowering his head when talking to Sister Mary, physically emphasizing his fear and wariness toward her, or his eyes moving away with memory or thought, he articulates everything Bill doesn’t say with sadness. Murphy draws us in with just a glance or gesture, his performance magnetic and layered. The supporting cast is also excellent, although they have less to do. Devlin brings an urgent desperation to her performance as Sarah, but she is also resigned to her fate and quietly sad. And in just one scene, Watson is commanding, his performance a force to be reckoned with.
In just over 90 minutes, Little things like that it can be captivating and dark, despondent yet hopeful. It’s a little slow to start, but the beauty of the film is that it takes time to tell its story and the emotion embedded in everything is as captivating as it is harrowing. It made me feel a lot – disgust, anger, horror – but I appreciated the severity and tenderness with which Mielants chose to tell this story. His analysis of society and powerful institutions—their influence and strength—versus individual responsibility and challenge to them is immensely moving.
Little things like that screened at the 2024 Middleburg Film Festival and is now playing in theaters. The film is 98 minutes long and rated PG-13 for thematic material.
Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, discovers dark secrets at a convent that lead him to confront his past and the silent complicity of his church-influenced Irish town.
- Cillian Murphy gives a powerful and sad performance
- The story is excellently told and nuanced
- Small Things Like These is captivating even in its severity