In 1985 devoted father Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers shocking truths of his own.
Chuck says:
Though it seems more pressing now than usual, the question regarding adhering to one’s personal principles in the face of differing societal beliefs and institutional oppression has always been with us. Right or wrong, each of us will eventually be faced with the choice of mindlessly going with the prevailing winds in order not to make waves or taking a stand despite the threat of ostracization or worse. The decision revolves around whether we can look at ourselves in the mirror or live our lives in quiet shame.
This is the choice facing Bill Furlong in Tim Mielents’s “Small Things Like These,” a haunting character study that, while taking place in Ireland during the 1980’s, couldn’t be timelier. Based on the novella by Claire Keegan, it examines the country’s stain that was the Magdalene Laundries, Catholic run asylums in which unwed mothers and other so-called “fallen women” were forced to live. An estimated 56,000 were institutionalized in them against their will, some never to leave.
Though he’s hesitant to admit it, in a way Furlong has a connection to the laundries, his own mother unwed when she gave birth. However, she was fortunate to avoid the fate of many of her peers, having been taken in by a rich benefactress (Michelle Fairley) who gave her a job and place to live on her estate. Being raised in this environment, Furlong was sheltered from these events, until his mother died when he was 10.
His mother has been much on his mind as of late. Furlong, who owns a coal business in New Ross, County Wexford, has been, what with being shorthanded, making deliveries. One of his stops is the laundry in the area. It’s overseen by Sister Mary (Emily Watson), stern as one would expect, adhering to the church’s doctrine, turning a blind eye to her charges’ suffering. After Furlong witnesses a young woman being forced to enter the asylum, this awakens long dormant memories and prompts a crisis of conscience.
Things are exacerbated when he enters the building during a later stop and is accosted by a young woman who begs him to help her escape. And once he finds another of the girls, hiding in the coal bin where he makes his deliveries, he’s forced to come to terms as to whether he should intercede on her behalf or not.
Though spare, the film’s narrative is layered, the many facets of Irish society and its attachment to the Catholic Church touched upon. Furlong’s wife Eileen (Eileen Walsh) gently chides him about being too soft-hearted, offering the practical but impersonal notion that “There are things you have to ignore.” She’s not without a heart but allows practical concerns to guide her.
That they have five daughters is a factor as well. Were Furlong to speak out, they would likely no longer be allowed to go to the church-run school they attend. Sister Mary implies this, in not so many words. Sensing Furlong may do something rash, she invites him to tea, assures him nothing is amiss, and attempts to silence him with a Christmas card containing a few pound notes. He takes it but doesn’t open it. As for his daughters, Furlong can’t help but imagine them in the same situation as the abandoned girls he’s encountered.
The film rests on Cillian Murphy’s shoulders, who delivers a heartbreaking performance. His turmoil internalized, through subtle gradations we see the weight of Furlong’s indecision take its toll. An ever-increasing sadness is prevalent in his downward glances, a hunch slowly overtakes his posture, the weight of his conscious slowly crushing him. It’s a haunting, devastating turn that’s impossible to shake. Watson is equally good, also taking a low-key approach but to another end. The sense of menace she exudes is a tribute to the power of her steely screen persona.
One of the year’s best films, as well as one of the timeliest, “Things” cuts to the core. Mielents’ approach is deceptive, as he’s wise enough to step out of the way to allow the inherent power of the story and relatability of its theme directly impact the viewer. He makes Furlong’s dilemma our own, forcing us to ask ourselves what we’d do in his situation. The connection to the current state of things in the world is obvious, as we all must ask ourselves if toeing the line is worth the price of our souls.
4 Stars
