The line between subtle filmmaking and baffling obscurity can be very fine, and with director Tim Mielants' fourth film, that distinction is frustratingly unclear. The movie unfolds in 1985 and centers on Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy), an Irish coal merchant trying to support his wife and five daughters. He’s a gentle man who readily assists those around him, a kindness stemming from his own childhood when he and his…

I was reminded of a friend who once owned a gay bar in Dublin; I remember being there the day marriage became legal in Ireland. One of the women celebrating shared a disturbing story about her childhood experiences with nuns in the 1970s—a tale of people utterly lacking in empathy. This film takes up that same kind of criticism, presenting what feels like a religious institution not unlike a Dickensian workhouse. The…

Small Things Like These proved to be captivating. I received precisely what I was looking for with this film. It unfolds deliberately, a restrained movie anchored by an excellent, though not overly flashy, portrayal from Cillian Murphy. The rhythm is well-managed and the narrative is certainly compelling; there's a considerable amount of feeling contained within it. The ending felt somewhat sudden; I actually h…