Movie Review: Small Things Like These

 Movie Number 16 of 2025.

The Movie: Small Things Like These

The Cinema: Kino Cinema, Collins Street

Stars: 5

I'm a big fan of the Irish writer, Claire Keegan. She writes small books of incredible gravitas, often dealing with Irish life in the 1980s. That the book is only 128 pages but fits so much in its pages is amazing.  

This film is incredible. 

It's Christmas 1985 in the town of New Ross, County Wexford. Cillian Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a quiet man, a family man, who runs the local coal store. He's quiet, hardworking and obviously loves his family and runs a successful business. He's respected by the town. You aren't told this. You see it. 

When Bill goes to the local convent do bring their supplies, he's alerted that all is not as it seems. 

Many will be aware of the atrocities committed by the Catholic Church in putting young, unmarried mothers in workhouse conditions. (There are a couple of excellent films, The Magdalene Sisters and Philomena that look at the subject).

More troubling is the town's reaction to the conven't activities. Bill is warned by the publican to keep quiet and tow the line. 

Thankfully, you see very little of this, but you do see how the knowledge affects this quiet, ordinary man and his family is profound. 

Cillian Murphy, who's in pretty much every shot of the film is astounding. He doesn't say much. He doesn't have to. Emily Watson, in the crucial role of Sister Mary, the convent's Mother Superior, is evil personified. She gives an amazing performance as the woman in charge of a place hell bent of peddling misery. 

Tim Mielant's direction is perfection. He's worked with Murphy on a number of project's including Peaky Blinders. Enda Walsh's screenplay is very true to the book. It's the attention to detail which really makes this film. 

The film closes with a dedication to the female victims of the Magdalene laundries, which ran from 1922 to 1998. Yes, 1998. Please let that sink in. 1998. 

I was blown away by Small Things Like These. The book is magnificent, making the Booker shortlist. The film is worthwhile viewing. 

Today's song: