| Highly Recommended! |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
"In dreams our minds, uncensored by logic, wander wherever they wish. Even in a wilder place, could a mind have wandered so far as to imagine a scene, featuring a punching match between a burly Irishman dressed as a dancing cartoon character Womble surrounded by gaggles of excited, screaming children and a very, very perturbed transvestite?"
It is surprising to find Neil Jordan, director of Prozac-defying classics, such as 'Michael Collins' and 'The Crying Game', making this jovial, light-hearted film. But, like the cross-dressing hero he presents, letting his hair down seems to have done him a world of good.
Based on a novel by Patrick McCabe, 'Breakfast On Pluto' documents the strange life of Patrick Braden (Cillian Murphy). 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 mother. As he becomes Kitten, so Irish politics become increasingly volatile and his own troubles mirror the escalating tensions around him.
While following Patrick's escape to a happier identity, the film provides a constant flow of hilarious scenes. As well as the Womble ruckus, there is a sarcastic narration by a pair of robins, a squabbling rock band and Patrick's all-too-detailed imaginings of his own conception. The director Jordan accompanies the breathless chapter sequence of author McCabe's book with a continuous and fabulously wide-ranging soundtrack and allows the film to plummet along at a furious pace. Even the tragic death of Down's syndrome sufferer Lawrence (Seamus Reilly) cannot dampen the mood. Patrick in a very cheeky manner labels the event "very, very serious", although the jokes soon return with a vengeance.
Although he tries to ignore the sobering events taking place in the streets, the author McCabe cannot. Patrick's visit to London results in various failed relationships and a growing desperation at the faltering search for his mother - "the phantom lady". Meanwhile, the Irish troubles creep ever closer. His childhood friend Irwin (Laurence Kinlan) is affected and involved, while a nightclub bombing lands Patrick in the slammer on suspicion of terrorism. Despite attempts to lament his torn tights and flirt with the interrogators, a real sadness affects Patrick's demeanor as he and his homeland struggle to fix their identities.
Despite the bombings and killings, politics is treated glibly. The author McCabe and director Jordan devote their attention to the uncovering of Kitten and the characters who help him/her along the way. Under such scrutiny, the fabulous actor Cillian Murphy is vulnerable, wry and utterly and absolutely charming. He is also quite distinct from his previous roles in 'Batman Begins' and '28 Days Later'. Liam Neeson seems a bit soft as the guilty Father Bernard, but the film's other co-stars put in stirring and riveting performances, particularly Bryan Ferry's violent stranger, Gavin Friday's beleaguered singer and director Jordan's acolyte Stephen Rea's lonely and lovable magician.
With this see-saw between happy and sad, 'Breakfast On Pluto's' tone is a discomforting mixture of comedy and tragedy. Ultimately, in a wise move, Jordan, the director allows youthful energy to win the day. As a director, more associated with weightier material, he performs wonders in adapting a difficult and highly interpretative book to the screen.
Any lack of precision, or a firmer, final point in the story; and perhaps a bit of glossing over of serious moments in Irish history once too often are the doings of the author McCabe's and not director Jordan. Jordan has managed to beautifully morph a quirky novel into an enthralling, tender and, crucially, fun piece of cinema. Indeed, he changes guise more easily than his protagonist, although only one of them has to deal with violent cartoon character Wombles! A highly recommended, must see film.
.
FILM INFORMATION: 'Breakfast on Pluto'
Web: Additional Cast, Details and Bios at IMDb
Director: Neil Jordan
Writers: Neil Jordan (screenplay) & Patrick McCabe (novel)
Full Credits: Full Cast, Crew & Credits
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Awards: Nominated for Golden Globe. 7 wins & 12 nominations
Runtime: 129 minutes
Spoken Language: English
Subtitles: n/a
.
FILM CLIP: 'Breakfast on Pluto'
FEATURED FILM CLIP AUDIO TRACK:
'Windmills of Your Mind' ~ Dusty Springfield.mp3
DOWNLOAD & EXTRACT FILM FILES: 'Breakfast on Pluto'
.
| Method 1.) File Self Extraction. (For PC) Download files into the same folder. then click on the 'xxxx.part01.exe' file and the film will self extract. (For Mac) You will need a Command Line Archiver like Rar for Mac OS X' |
| Method 2.) Download and rejoin files with a program like HJ Split/Join (For PC) and (For Mac) use either MacHacha or Split and Concat. |
Posts
