Breakfast on Pluto
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| Just Tommy Shelby, doing some Grace dress up HA! |
Whether you are familiar with the jaw dropping, masterpiece
that is of course, Peaky Blinders, you may have probably heard of an actor that
goes by the name of Cillian Murphy; yes, the Irish born, blue eyed, charming
and humble, yet, villainous looking man. Red Eye, must have been one of the
first films that I watched where Murphy, transformed into a man poisoned with
evil (and boy was I scared). I don’t know what it was; perhaps everything about
this man, but there was no doubt that Murphy beholds such immense talent. For
some time, I believed that Cillian Murphy is the ultimate ‘bad guy’ type of actor;
he simply has that look about him. Murphy’s talent and versatility has been
shown in various films ranging from Boyle’s zombie smash hit 28 Days Later,
to Webber’s Girl with the Pearl Earring,
of course, not forgetting to mention that Murphy is among Nolan’s favourite
picks for his remarkable films. Upon seeing a range of different films starring
Murphy, I stumbled upon an Irish film directed by Neil Jordan, who is also
known for The Interview with the Vampire. Oh yes, Breakfast on Pluto... The
title sold it to me. You see, an actor who plays the same man, but in different
setting is no good, to get to know someone’s talent, uniqueness and his passion,
one must break all the rules, and well, Cillian Murphy dressed as a woman does
just that!
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| Thomas Shelby, Peaky Blinders |
Today, the audience are likely to find Cillian Murphy
occupying our screen taking on the role of Thomas Shelby, I mean sure, I could
talk about the brilliance of Peaky Blinders and the portrayal of Tommy Shelby,
but that would take a while, there is no doubt that, Murphy certainly is a man
of many faces and talents! So as you are guessing, it is rather hard and
perhaps bizarre, to even imagine the ultimate ‘alpha male’ playing anything
else, but that. Although, Murphy has enabled the audience to see a much more
sensitive side of him in films such as Disco Pigs, where he charmed the
audience with a cheeky boyish grin and distinct persona, portraying a young
troubled transvestite is rather extreme.
The film is set in Ireland during the 70s, Murphy takes on
the role of Patrick, a young flamboyant, mouthy and sassy teen who was left at
the doorstep of a priest (portrayed by the lovely Liam Neeson) as a baby. Soon,
the audience learn that Patrick, or as he likes to call himself, St. Kitten, was
adopted by a local woman, who let’s put it lightly, has not got much love to
offer him. From the start of the film, the audience embark on a journey with
young Patrick, as he experiments with who he is from stealing his adopted mum’s
clothes and shoes, to evolving into a rather extravagant and fabulous teenager,
and let me tell you... Kitten does not like to be messed with. The narrative of
the film focuses on Patrick’s goal of finding his mother. As an audience, we
see Patrick being troubled with fantasies of his mother, simply questioning and
reasoning why she abandoned him and left. The film covers a vast amount of
issues of a child left behind. What stands out the most about Patrick, is his
attitude and courage, he is who he is, and there is no one that can tame him,
honey... While the issues raised by the film from the very beginning are not ‘light’,
the film’s atmosphere and heartfelt humour certainly is at times, and it’s all
thanks to Murphy simply being so damn good at what he is doing. Although, the
story of the sweet Patrick seems uplifting at the beginning, his story has more
to offer; often being a tragic tale of a broken man. The film certainly conveys
many important messages, one of them is to never lose your true self, you may
be broken, beaten, or just hurt, but always stay true to yourself. The ever so
glamorous Patrick has an agenda, while there are many obstacles waiting, he is
set and focused. As a whole, the film enables its audience to witness the
coming of age transformation of a very daring, but a very lonely and broken
young man, the world is his stage. While the film certainly romanticises the
journey, it does not fail to portray the real irony of life.
There is no doubt that in order to portray a man struggling
with his sexuality, or even identity, it took a lot of preparation and a lot of
hard work, but Cillian Murphy has managed to do an outstanding job at keeping
his audience simply hooked. Murphy’s portrayal of the charismatic young boy,
who is lost, yet fearless, is simply captivating and raw. The character of Patrick simply shines in
charisma and boldness; yes, one thing is for sure, the idea behind the film and
the end result is simply bold. Although, this may not be Murphy’s most well-known
role, it certainly is a great indicator of his tremendous talent! Patrick is elegant,
sexy, seductive and absolutely beautiful, which is highly contrasting to what
we are likely to find Murphy usually portraying in his roles.
Breakfast on Pluto is a bittersweet tale of a lonely boy,
who beholds such uniqueness, yet, is just like one of us, yearning to be loved
and accepted. While Patrick is independent and very goal orientated, he still
exhibits child like characteristics, the idea of the film being separated into
little chapters also adds to the childlike atmosphere of child/ teen writing a
diary, or perhaps a book. Maybe the story is so bold and colourful is because
Patrick is making it up like a fiction book, after all Patrick is a man/ or
woman of many talents, who likes to see the world through rose tinted, heart
shaped sunglasses. Overall, the film is well put together, the soundtrack accompanying
the film fits well with the time period, as well as the persona of the characters.
At times, the mise en scene is flashy and theatrical, which arguably aids in
establishing Patrick’s character. The narrative of the film evolves with the
growth of the main protagonists, often shifting in mood and atmosphere, evoking
emotions in the form of sympathy within the audience. Not only does the film
share the story of Patrick with its audience, it allows the audience to form a
bond with him in the form of a friendship. The film is rather atmospheric and
candy coated, but this could not have been done without the incredible talent
of Murphy, there is no doubt that you will be in awe seeing this man (yes, a man)
walk in pointy stilettos, wearing a flattering dress along with a stylish hat
and doing it so damn good... I found myself questioning, how can a man, who is
so suave and simply beholds such handsome uniqueness, become such a beautiful
woman who is filled with so much grace and elegance. So, if you are looking for
something a little different to watch, something that will make you laugh,
break your heart and most importantly shock you, then I think this is a film
for you!
Anna Gaszkowska
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