small things like this (d. tim mielants w.enda walsh)

Mielants’ film has heavyweight support. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are named as exec producers. Oscar winner Cillian Murphy takes the lead. The film deals with the issue of the abuse of girls in Catholic convents in Ireland over the course of decades. It occurs in that broad era known as the time before mobile phones. In a sense it feels as thought the casting of Murphy slightly unbalances the film, with his back story taking prominence over the that of the mistreated girls. We understand his actions and his morose disposition, but his story is not the film’s focal point. The film employs a downbeat tone to relate its narrative, endowing it with the seriousness it deserves, even if it sometimes feels as though it’s leading its audience by the nose.