Cillian Murphy's Riveting Performance in 'Small Things Like These' at Berlin Film Festival Opening Night

Berfin Ceren Meray
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Cillian Murphy takes on a poignant Irish father role in 'Small Things Like These,' the opening night film at the Berlin Film Festival. Set in the 1980s, the movie delves into an Irish tale of trauma, with a focus on a father figure navigating through pain. The film aims to provide audiences with a profound emotional experience, and Murphy's performance has already garnered attention, raising high expectations. The actor's compelling talent and the depth he brings to the character have generated significant anticipation among those eagerly looking forward to watching this impactful story unfold on screen.

Taking a Closer Look at "Small Things Like These" – Cillian Murphy's Riveting Performance in Berlin Film Festival Opening Film

If we delve into the film, there's no doubt about where we are right from the start. Dim winter daylight on narrow, grey streets, peat mounds between crowded villages, a crow perched on a church tower... This is 1980s Western Ireland, where the Celtic Tiger has yet to roar, times are tough, divorce is illegal, condoms require a prescription, and central heating is a luxury.

Adapted from Claire Keegan's beloved novel by Irish playwright Enda Walsh and Belgian director Tim Mielants, "Small Things Like These" unfolds the story of Bill Furlong (played by Cillian Murphy), a coal merchant with five daughters and a small but thriving business.

When we meet him, he's a hardworking laborer putting in longer hours than usual to fulfill Christmas orders. One of the places where Murphy's character sells coal is a local girls' school and a Magdalene laundry run by the local monastery. The story revolves around a discovery Bill makes in the monastery's coal shed.

In this regard, the film narrates the same story but gives Furlong a different perspective.

Renowned Irish playwright Keegan, known for her nuanced storytelling and an inspiration for the 2022 Oscar-nominated 'The Silent Girl,' delicately presents us with a solid family man. He is a respected figure, kind to the children of broken parents, seemingly content from the outside but haunted by the unspoken things in his past. The story unfolds when Bill realizes what is done in the monastery's coal shed in the name of God, leading a traditional man, responsible for his family's well-being (Murphy), to face an unsettling surprise driven by his conscience.

In addition, the film shows Murphy as someone in constant visible turmoil since we meet him.

Crushed under sacks of coal during the day, we see him exhausted, hunched over in the doorways of cramped terrace houses in the evenings. Far from distancing himself from his memories, he often stands in front of a rain-streaked window, washing his soot-stained hands vigorously in a corridor lavatory before facing his clean and clever children.

All these elements are part of Keegan's narrative.

Screenwriter Walsh has masterfully retained much of the original dialogue from the novel, and why wouldn't he, given its exquisite quality? In the film, small things turn into a narrative of trauma, with Murphy's soft facial features—just as complex when brilliantly portraying Robert Oppenheimer—meticulously capturing the nuances of pain.

Movies of such depth and meaningful adaptations of novels excite us greatly.

Cillian Murphy seems to have done an excellent job, and we hope it lives up to expectations. For those interested, let's leave detailed information about the film below. 👇

Film: Small Things Like These

Festival: Berlin (In Competition)

Director: Tim Mielants

Screenwriter: Enda Walsh (Based on Claire Keegan's novel)

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Emily Watson, Clare Dunne

Sales Representative: FilmNation on behalf of Artists Equity

Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes