Stories about Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor who won the Academy Award for his performance in “Oppenheimer,” often include extravagant descriptions of his eyes, calling them “dolphin pools” or “ocean eyes.”
But on a recent Zoom call to talk about his new movie, “Small Things Like These,” Murphy’s peepers looked pretty normal — a vivid blue, for sure, but otherwise ordinary — and the actor said he’d be happy to never discuss his image or appearance.
“I see myself as an actor, not a personality, and I think those are two distinct things,” said Murphy, whose indifference to celebrity is evident in his decision to live with his wife and two teenage sons in Ireland, not New York or, heaven forbid, Hollywood. “For me, the less people know about you, the freer you are to disappear into a character.”
At 48, Murphy has been working on stage and screen for more than half his life — he played brutal gangster Tommy Shelby in the British crime drama “Peaky Blinders” for a decade — but the enormous success of director Christopher Nolan’s biopic of bombmaker J. Robert Oppenheimer has catapulted him into a whole other realm of stardom.
Indeed, after more than 40 films, including six with Nolan (“Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Dunkirk,” and “Oppenheimer”), Murphy is unquestionably an A-list movie star. But he’s also a reluctant one; notoriety just doesn’t matter much to him.
“I’m really [expletive] at the business side of this work. I’m more interested in the creative aspect of it,” he said. “Everything that happened with ‘Oppenheimer’ was extraordinary. I still haven’t really processed it all, but if it gets more people into the cinema to see this film, I’ll take it.”
Another actor might have leveraged their newfound fame to make a big-budget crowd pleaser, but not Murphy, whose new movie is the opposite of a blockbuster. Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Irish author Claire Keegan, “Small Things Like These,” opening in theaters next Friday, is a discreet, almost claustrophobic story about a coal merchant in a small Irish village who realizes what’s going on in the local convent but struggles with the potential consequences — for his five daughters, especially — of crossing the Catholic Church and speaking up.
The movie, directed by Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants, is inspired by the real-world tragedy of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, the harsh workhouses operated by Roman Catholic orders in conjunction with the Irish government. From the 18th century until the 1990s, tens of thousands of girls deemed morally wayward were effectively imprisoned in convents, required to do laundry, cleaning, sewing, and cooking as a form of penitence.
Uncovering a Dark History
Aside from telling an important story, the appeal of “Small Things Like These” for Murphy was filming in Ireland with people he had worked with before, including Mielants, who directed the third season of “Peaky Blinders”; screenwriter Enda Walsh, a frequent collaborator whose 1996 play, “Disco Pigs,” helped launch Murphy’s career; and Irish actress Eileen Walsh, his costar in “Disco Pigs.”
“I hadn’t made a film at home for many years, so it was nice to be back with Irish crews and Irish actors, who are just the best,” said Murphy. “It was nice to go home to my own bed sometimes.”
Murphy’s wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, was an admirer of Keegan’s Booker Prize-nominated novel and had encouraged her husband to adapt it for the screen, but it was a conversation with actor Matt Damon that ultimately made the movie happen.
Murphy met Damon for the first time on the set of “Oppenheimer,” in which the Cambridge native plays General Leslie Groves, the manager of the Manhattan Project. The two struck up a conversation one night and Damon told Murphy about Artists Equity, the production company he and Ben Affleck had just created. Damon touted the new company as more equitable and “talent-friendly” than the typical Hollywood studio, which intrigued Murphy. He mentioned Keegan’s book and gave Damon a copy of Walsh’s script. One thing led to another and Artists Equity soon agreed to finance the movie.
“I don’t know if the film would have been made without those guys,” Murphy said.
A Haunting Atmosphere
Mielants, the director, said Damon and Affleck were supportive from the outset and provided more than just financial backing.
“First I have to say I admire them as filmmakers. What Matt did with (director Gus Van Sant’s) ‘Gerry’ and what Ben did with Terrence Malick — I mean, they know moviemaking,” said Mielants, referencing Affleck’s role in Malick’s 2013 movie “To The Wonder.” “Ben I had on the phone a couple of times. He had very good ideas in the edit — two tiny things and, whoa, it’s working.”
Mielants said he wanted “Small Things Like These” to have the same mournful tone and texture as the book, so he scouted locations in New Ross, the small town southwest of Dublin where the novel is set. He liked what he found there. While the movie takes place in 1985, New Ross’s narrow streets and ancient row houses have a sooty, Dickensian quality, which underscores the story’s torment. (Actress Emily Watson adds an element of menace with her portrayal of the severe Sister Mary.)
“It was so easy. I could smell the existential emptiness,” Mielants said. “It was the most lazy directing job I ever could do. The only thing we really added was some condensation on the windows. It was just all there.”
A Legacy of Silence
“The thing about complicity is that sometimes the system of oppression is run by the people who are oppressed,” said Murphy. “What will you lose if you stand up? In the case of my character, he would potentially lose his business, his marriage, and his girls won’t get an education. The stakes are huge.”
“Small Things Like These” is a powerful reminder of the dark side of Irish history and the lasting impact of the Magdalene Laundries. It’s a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll, prompting reflection and conversation about the complexities of faith, power, and the human cost of silence.
A Lasting Impression
The film is a testament to Murphy’s talent as an actor and producer, and a powerful reminder of the enduring power of storytelling to shed light on difficult truths. “Small Things Like These” is a must-see for anyone interested in Irish history, social justice, or simply a well-crafted, thought-provoking film.
The movie is a powerful reminder of a dark chapter in Irish history. It’s a film that will leave you pondering the consequences of silence and the importance of speaking out against injustice.
