Before he returns for Netflix’s Peaky Blinders movie, Cillian Murphy’s new historical drama Small Things Like These looks like it’ll make me weep
It’s definitely an Oscar-worthy performance
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As Cillian Murphy prepares to reprise his role as fearsome gangster Tommy Shelby in the upcoming NetflixPeaky Blindersmovie, his intense performance in the trailer fornew movieSmall Things Like Theseis just as goosebump-inducing.
After Murphy’s well-deserved Oscar win for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer inChristopher Nolan’s explosive biopicOppenheimer,his next intense role comes in the form of historical dramaSmall Things Like These.Based on Claire Keegan’s novel of the same name, Murphy showcases his character Bill Furlong in the haunting and gritty trailer (see below) that is a far cry fromOppenheimer.
In the trailer, quiet and melancholic Furlong is working in the coal mines and blends into the dark, bleak surroundings. However, when he sees a young woman being forcibly delivered to a convent, his disturbing discovery of abuse in the rural Irish community forces him to confront his own past traumas and risk upsetting the town by exposing the exploitation.
It’s definitely not a light-hearted watch and tackles painful themes as Murphy takes center stage in a movie that looks to be intoxicating and emotional, which I think could earn him his next Oscar win.
Small Things Like These takes on big things
Small Things Like Theseis an adaptation of Claire Keegan’s best-selling novel which tells the story of Bill Furlong, a hard-working coal merchant and father who grapples with his traumatic past when he discovers secret abuses happening inside his local convent in the small Irish town of New Ross.
These ordeals are inspired by the real-life history of the Magdalene Laundries, a set of workhouses and asylums run by the Catholic Church where ‘fallen women’, such as unmarried mothers and orphans, were physically and mentally abused in horrific conditions.
Furlong struggles with combatting the powerful and corrupt institution and his own past suffering as he thinks about the death of his mother, as well as the life of his daughters following such a barbaric revelation.
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Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s company Artists Equity, Murphy toldVanity Fairof how he convinced Damon to take on the project: “I gave the script to Matt [Damon] when we were shooting, and he loved it. I remember saying that it’s a different film, but it would share some thematic crossover withManchester by the Sea,which Matt also produced…. It was like I was pitching betweenManchester by the SeaandDoubt.”
Small Things Like Thesealso stars Eileen Walsh as Furlong’s wife Eileen, Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Wilson, Emily Watson as Sister Mary, and Clare Dunne as Sister Carmel.
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After graduating with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, Grace dived into the world of entertainment where she started writing all about the must-watch shows and movies at What To Watch. Now Grace is on her next writing adventure at TechRadar, where she uses her expertise to help readers keep up to date on the biggest TV shows and movies in the ever-changing world of streaming. If she’s not writing about her passion for entertainment, you’ll find her watching reality shows while feasting on chocolate.
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