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A coal merchant uncovers secrets at a local convent, confronting his past in a small Irish town.
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While working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.
"Small Things Like These is a powerful Irish drama starring Cillian Murphy that explores a topic rarely discussed outside the country’s borders: the Magdalene Laundries. These institutions operated almost like reformatories for “women who stepped out of line,” whether due to addiction or even getting pregnant out of wedlock. Here, director Tim Mielants (Wil) tells this story in a restrained, almost overly conventional film, but with a tone of denunciation and urgent drama. Murphy (Oppenheimer) delivers as always, bringing an almost tragic nuance to a character who relives his past while trying to understand his present. The only question remains: was telling a man’s story really the best way to address the Magdalene Laundries?"