18/27
In 1985, devout Father Bill Furlong uncovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and discovers shocking truths of his own. Cillian Murphy is a fan of the film’s original novel writer, Claire Keegan. He recalls reading her novel “Foster” on a train and having to pull his hoodie over his face because he was crying. Eileen Furlong: If you want to get on in this life, there are things you just have to ignore. Dedicated to the more than 56,000 young women who were sent to Magdalene institutions for “penance and rehabilitation” between the years 1922 and 1998. And the children who were taken from them. Featured on 60 Minutes: Red Sea Crisis / False Electors / Searching for Cillian Murphy (2024). Director Tim Mielants gives us a meditative yet compelling and grim portrait of the corruption behind the Catholic Church and the infamous Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, peppered with a good sense of setting and an enriching performance from Cillian Murphy. The approach to the writing, tone and themes are sensitive but appropriately addressed, without being overly dramatic or out of place, creating the sense of realism of the period and the challenges of its subject matter. The camera work, production designs and direction help to establish its setting. As already stated, Murphy’s performance is good, but Emily Watson is as good as ever. Its simple narrative, but powerful theme and subject matter conveys its bleakness and the true nature of human nature is well explored. It features a good soundtrack, dialogue and an interesting character from Murphy. There have been some criticisms that Murphy’s character was not interesting and that the film should have focused on the Magdalene Laundries and the girls. I understand where the perspectives come from, but the idea of an ordinary outsider, seeing the dark side of reality and truth, is also an interesting perspective. We offer what ordinary people are able to see and how that shapes them. Overall, it’s a great movie.