34/19
In 1985, devoted father Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets of the local monastery and uncovers shocking truths of his own. Cillian Murphy is a fan of the author of the film’s original novel, Claire Keegan. He remembers reading her novel Foster on the 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 have to ignore. Dedicated to the over 56,000 young women who were sent to Magdalene asylums between 1922 and 1998 for “penance and rehabilitation.” And the children who were taken away from them. Featured in 60 Minutes: Red Sea Crisis/False Electors/Finding Cillian Murphy (2024). My eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish of the film. The number of scenes without dialogue that have so much atmosphere and emotion is simply incredible. Cillian Murphy is absolutely amazing in this film, as I expected. But the emotions he shows in this film and the way he comes across through his body language and facial expressions are just great. He is truly one of the best actors of this generation. Emily Watson is impressive as Mother Superior. The tension she brings to every scene is fantastic. It really shows how horrible some nuns were back then. This film had a perfect runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It felt even longer because I was so engrossed. The score and the cinematography were both so simple yet so effective. They both really added a lot to the film and gave it the finishing touches it needed. Overall, this film was absolutely amazing and very entertaining. I would love to see more films like this in the future. It was also great to learn more about my country’s history, even if it is the darker side of it. “If you want to get ahead in life, there are things you have to ignore so you can move on.” Eileen Furlong.