Movie Review – Breakfast on Pluto 2004

PLOT : Young Patrick “Kitten” Braden (Cillian Murphy) flees Ireland for London during the politically tumultuous 1970’s on a quest to find love and a place to call home. There, he becomes a transvestite prostitute and gets involved in an IRA bombing campaign.

Verdict:

Based on a novel by Patrick McCabe, Breakfast On Pluto documents the strange life of Patrick Braden played by the gorgeous, blue eyed Cillian Murphy. Those of you who know me, know I adore Mr Murphy – I think his on screen presence is terrific. He is an incredibly versatile actor playing the good guy, the villain and this, one of his older shows, the Tranny!

Dumped as a baby in a small town near the Irish border, he grows up unsure of his mother’s location or his father’s identity. Discovering he feels happier in women’s clothes, he renames himself Kitten and sets off for London in the late Sixties, in pursuit of his mysterious mum. As he becomes Kitten, so Irish politics become increasingly volatile and his own troubles mirror the escalating tensions around him.

Why C&C recommend this movie:
This is an old show .. but we feel, it is time to re-live the magic!

What I liked best about Breakfast on Pluto is that not only does it have an amazingly unique story line, but despite the action bits about IRA bombings and killings and street prostitution, the story never loses sight of its character development, in uncovering who “Kitten” really is, and also the characters who help him/her along. The personalities take on a deep and “real” dimension as they have time to develop unlike other movies where they just hurry the plot along like as if it were a chore or something.

Of course, props to Mr. Murphy who makes such a pretty waif (back then he was even fitter and skinnier!) that his vulnerable, wry, utterly charming character is 100% believable. Cillian Murphy gives a career high performance as Kitten, so silky, so tough, so completely real that it’s NUTS! It is really hard to imagine, watching this film, that this guy is straight, married with two kids in real life! In Breakfast on Pluto, he is distinctly different and stretches his acting ability from previous roles in Batman Begins and 28 Days Later. Needless to say, “The Father”, Liam Neeson was stellar as Father Bernard, but the film’s other co-stars were equally good – my other favourite being Gavin Friday – singer, songwriter and composer from Dublin, Ireland. He played Billy Hatchet (in photo above, in orange) the wild, rock band lead singer and first love interest for Kitten.

all photos from filmofilia dot com

All in all, this film that is written as well as directed by Neil Jordan, is great because it is ironically a comedy yet a tragedy. As a book, Breakfast on Pluto is outstanding and to take it to the screen is no easy feat. Neil Jordan managed to morph a quirky novel into a mesmerising, tough yet tender piece of film. He made the seedy streets of London’s brothels look whimsically artistic.. the ugly truth about prostitution an altered, bittersweet reality. The show will show you the depth of human frailty but then makes a comeback with what is toughest in a man – that which is noble and true.

For his portrayal of Kitten, Cillian Murphy won the 2007 IFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Neil Jordan also won the 2007 IFTA for Best Director and Jordan and McCabe took home the Best Script IFTA.

This show gets two thumbs up form Cumi & Ciki. This is one of those films that you will want to see again and again- the mark of a classic!

One last thing.. Of course this show would have one of my all time favourite songs in it.. I leave you with the lyrics!

“Where’s your mama gone, where’s your mama gone?

Where’s the baby gone, where’s your mama gone?

far far away!

Where’s your papa gone? Where’s your papa gone?

Where’s the baby done, little baby gun?

Where’s your papa gone? Where’s your papa gone?

far far away!

far far away!

Last night I heard my momma singing this song
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Woke up this morning and my momma was gone
Ooh wee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep
Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp

Let’s go now! “

– “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” is a song made popular in 1971 by Middle of the Road for whom it was a UK number one chart hit