46/32
In 1985, devout Father Bill Furlong uncovers disturbing secrets kept at the local convent and discovers his own shocking truths. Cillian Murphy is a fan of the writer of the film’s original novel, Claire Keegan. He remembers 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). What director Tim Mielants brings to the table is 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 atmospheric setting and a rich performance from Cillian Murphy. The tone and themes are delicate, but appropriately addressed, without feeling overly dramatic or out of place. Creating the sense of realism of the period and the challenges of the subject matter. The camera work, production designs and direction help set the stage. As stated, Murphy’s performance is good, but Emily Watson is as good as ever. It’s a simple narrative, but the powerful theme and subject matter carries through its bleakness and the true nature of human nature is well explored. It includes good soundtrack, dialogue and an interesting character from Murphy. Some criticism has been said 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 sides of reality and seeing the truth is also an interesting perspective. We offer what ordinary people can see and how that shapes them. Overall, a great film.