Small Things Like These (2024)
Directed by: Tim Mielants
Premise: Set in Ireland in 1985, a coal merchant (Cillian Murphy) suspects that something is wrong at the local Catholic convent. He must decide whether to intervene or turn a blind eye.
What Works: Small Things Like These is a fictional story based on true events. From the late eighteenth century through most of the twentieth century, various churches operated a network of workhouses known as Magdalene laundries that engaged in human trafficking. Female sex workers and unwed mothers were incarcerated and forced to work for no wages and were subject to abuse. Small Things Like These is about Bill, a private citizen who becomes aware of what’s happening at his local convent and the picture is fundamentally a story of a character who must choose between ignoring what’s happening or doing something about it. Bill does not witness the abuse right away. The reality of what’s happening gradually sets in and the filmmakers do an excellent job of creating the growing impression that something is wrong. There is a simplicity to the premise; Bill sees injustice and feels compelled to intervene. The drama is in Bill’s choice. He weighs whether or not to intercede in matters that otherwise aren’t his business. That inner conflict plays out effectively through Cillian Murphy’s performance. He’s a father of several girls and that personalizes the conflict for him. He’s also living in a community in which the church is a powerful institution. The depiction of the town is quite detailed. The picture has a feel and look that’s very specific to the story’s time and place.
What Doesn’t: Small Things Like These does not provide much context about the Magdalene laundries. It’s a topic that has been addressed in other films, namely The Magdaline Sisters and Philomena, but viewers who aren’t familiar with what occurred at the laundries might be confused about the significance of what’s happening. The main conflict of Small Things Like These is internal as Bill agonizes about what to do about the abuse he has discovered. It’s implied that pressing the issue could have social and economic consequences for his family but this remains vague. That may be part of the point—the fear of ostracism is partly an illusion—but the lack of a concrete conflict weakens the drama. And without the full context of the abuse occurring in the Magalene launderette, Small Things Like These lacks a full measure of the dramatic stakes for Bill and for the women being held at the convent.
Bottom Line: Small Things Like These is an involving drama about the importance of courage and heroism. It’s a well-intended story about doing the right thing but viewers who aren’t familiar with the historical subject matter may find the drama a bit flat.
Episode: #1024 (November 24, 2024)