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After the success of Cillian Murphy's 2024 movie, Small Things Like These, the Irish actor has maintained his incredible Rotten Tomatoes streak, and thus, has raised the bar for his upcoming franchise returns. Murphy has been in the acting business for a long time, getting his breakout in 2001's Disco Pigs. However, in recent years, Murphy has been recognized for his incredible work on projects like Peaky Blinders and Christopher Nolan's box office record breaker, Oppenheimer. Now, Murphy is continuing his streak of success, and setting high expectations, with his most recent release.

Small Things Like These is a historical drama movie based on a book of the same name by Claire Keegan. The movie stars Murphy as Bill Furlong, a respected coal merchant who enters a conflict with the powerful nuns in his small town as he discovers a young pregnant woman being kept in a coal shed.

The Cillian Murphy-Led Historical Drama Small Things Like These. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

So, who’s been counting down the days for Small Things Like These? Cillian Murphy’s latest flick is finally here, and trust me, it’s worth the hype. Based on Claire Keegan’s novel, this movie will hit you right in the feels with its blend of hope, quiet heroism, and raw emotion. It dropped in theaters on November 1, just in time for the weekend—perfect for your movie plans.

In this one, Cillian plays Bill Furlong, who stumbles on some dark secrets while delivering coal to a local convent. He finds a terrified girl named Sarah locked away, begging for help. It turns out that her story is eerily similar to Bill’s past. Her name even matches his mom’s—talk about creepy. As Bill digs deeper, trying to figure out what’s happening,...

Perhaps it’s appropriate that a story about a coal man should be an extremely slow burn, but there isn’t much warmth for the beleaguered protagonist of this wintry drama. Typically, Cillian Murphy has used his newfound Oscar-winner clout to go back to Ireland and work again with his Disco Pigs collaborator Enda Walsh on an adaptation of a sparely worded novel by Claire Keegan. The result is remarkably powerful, even if it’s understated to the point of wordlessness.

Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a father of five daughters with a kindly heart but taciturn demeanour. He has secrets in his past that make him, perhaps, unusually sympathetic to the girls brought into the local convent because they are “in trouble”, as it was euphemistically called, but every personal and social pressure counsels him against speaking out, lest the powerful church turn against his business, his family and himself.

Small Things Like These is a movie adapted from Irish author Claire Keegan's novel of the same title. The film will star Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who is coming off the heels of his Academy Award-winning performance in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The movie is directed by Belgian director Tim Mielants, which seems to be a perfect follow-up after Oppenheimer for Murphy. The film debuted in February at the Berlin Film Festival and gained a high Rotten Tomatoes score.

The story of Small Things Like These takes place in 1985 in Wexford, Ireland, around Christmas time. The film focuses on "Magdalene laundries" or asylums in Ireland, usually run by the Catholic Church. These laundries originally housed former sex workers but later also became a place for women who were the victims of rape. Sometimes, the women housed were social outcasts, abuse victims, and orphans. The women housed in these laundries became known as "fallen women.

Lionsgate has announced details for the US release of the new film “Small Things Like These.” The drama, set in 1980s Ireland, tells the story of a coal merchant who uncovers secrets kept by the local convent. It is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Irish author Claire Keegan.

The movie will open in US theaters on November 8. It will first debut in the UK and Ireland on November 1. Lionsgate acquired distribution rights for North America, the UK, and Ireland after “Small Things Like These” premiered to critical acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.

Starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, the film follows Bill Furlong, a devoted father, as Christmas nears in 1985 Ireland. Furlong discovers disturbing truths kept by the convent in his small town. He is then forced to face the silence of his community about these secrets, as well as confronting parts of his own past.

Cillian Murphy skyrocketed to fame due to his role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period drama show, Peaky Blinders. After the TV series he participated in several projects, but it was the 2023 movie that cemented his name in Hollywood.

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s genius helped establish the actor’s name in the industry and worldwide. Murphy won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this critically acclaimed film. After a year since his Oscar-winning film’s release, the actor is back onscreen with another project. The first appearance of his new movie, Small Things Like These just got released, launching a wave of excitement among fans.

A new look and a new story: Oscar winner’s newest venture Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer | Credit: Universal Pictures.

Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Oppenheimer. The Christopher Nolan directorial movie along with his BBC hit show,...

Lionsgate has dropped the official trailer and set UK, Ireland and U.S. release dates for Small Things Like These, starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy. Check out the trailer above and a new poster below.

Small Things Like These opened the Berlin Film Festival in February, the first time an Irish movie has had the honor. Emily Watson went on to win the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for her role. Lionsgate later acquired North America, the UK and Ireland. It will release the film first in the UK and Ireland on November 1, followed by the U.S. on November 8; the latter with Roadside Attractions.

Murphy, who also produces, stars as devoted father Bill Furlong in the drama that’s based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Claire Keegan. While working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill discovers disturbing secrets kept by the...

Here’s a sneak peek at Cillian Murphy’s next not-“Peaky Blinders” film.

The Academy Award winner stars in and produces “Small Things Like These” based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Claire Keegan. “Small Things Like These” centers on devoted father Bill Furlong (Murphy) who works as a coal merchant to support his family. While on the job, he discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent — and realizes some truths of his own — forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

The film is set in 1985, and co-stars Emily Watson, Michelle Fairley, and Eileen Walsh.

Playwright Enda Walsh adapated the script, with “Peaky Blinders” director Tim Mielants directing. The feature premiered at Berlinale 2024; it was later acquired by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.

Murphy’s “Oppenheimer” co-star Matt Damon also produces through his...

Cillian Murphy keeps his personal life very private and he’s rarely ever spotted with his family in public.

Well, the 47-year-old actor was joined by his wife Yvonne McGuinness and their sons Malachy, 18, and Aran, 16, at the 2024 Academy Awards on Sunday (March 10) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Cillian won the award for Best Actor for his work in Oppenheimer during the show and he sent love to his family while accepting the prize.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Yvonne McGuinness, my partner in life, my two boys Malachy and Aran who are sitting up there, I love you so much,” Cillian said during his speech. Watch the video now!

Cillian met Yvonne while he was acting in a local production of the play Disco Pigs in Ireland back in the late 1990s. She joined him while he toured the UK for the next year and a half performing in the play.

When Cillian Murphy won his first Oscar for his role in Oppenheimer, the first person he turned to was his wife, Yvonne McGuinness. McGuinness supported her husband at the ceremony, and she has been by his side for years. The couple fell in love after meeting just before Murphy rose to prominence.

Cillian Murphy met his wife in 1996

In 1996, Murphy, then a law student, decided to try his hand at acting. He landed his first role in the play Disco Pigs, which was so successful that the cast toured with it for 18 months. Around this time, he met McGuinness, a visual artist. She joined him on the tour.

Yvonne McGuinness, Cillian Murphy, and Robert Downey Jr. | Christopher Polk/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images

“It was like being in a band again. Except that people actually came to the shows,” Murphy told The Guardian. “That time, making Disco Pigs,...

Cillian Murphy considers Red Eye to be a B-movie and believes he didn't give a nuanced performance. Despite Murphy's opinion, Red Eye is actually an underrated thriller with strong performances from both Murphy and Rachel McAdams. Critics praised the film upon its release, with Roger Ebert specifically noting Murphy's ability to avoid cheesiness and keep the movie grounded.

Although Cillian Murphy isn’t too fond of his 2005 psychological thriller Red Eye, the thriller co-starring Rachel McAdams is an underrated genre gem. Cillian Murphy has an impressive career. Since he first rose to prominence in the early ‘00s with roles in Disco Pigs, Intermission, 28 Days Later, and Cold Mountain, the star has gone on to headline both commercial blockbusters and acclaimed dramas. The same year that he played the hammy comic book villain Scarecrow in Batman Begins, Murphy also won critical acclaim for his central turn in the unforgettable...

Editor’s Note: This review originally published during the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. Lionsate opens “Small Things Like These” in theaters on Friday, November 8.

Opening nights at major festivals often lean towards the showier end of the spectrum, reaching for films with starry, red carpet-friendly casts and headline-grabbing premises to kick off proceedings in flashy style. The past two Berlinales boasted fun but forgettable openers — Rebecca Miller’s “She Came To Me” and Francois Ozon’s “Peter von Kant” — which is why it’s a pleasant surprise that this year’s Berlinale Opening Night offers something altogether subtler, a genuinely profound low-key gem which will be remembered long after the champagne and sequins have been swept away.

On the surface, “Small Things Like These,” produced by and starring the freshly Oscar-nominated Cillian Murphy (and with “Oppenheimer” co-star Matt Damon also on board as producer) fits the Opening Night brief well. In reality,...

Exclusive: On Thursday, the Berlin Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, who also produces, and marking the first time an Irish movie opens the Berlinale. In the exclusive first-look at the 1985-set drama (check it out above), Murphy’s family man Bill Furlong comes face-to-face with Emily Watson’s formidable Sister Mary whose convent is concealing dark and disturbing secrets.

Also starring Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Zara Devlin, the story plays out in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1985. Bill, a devoted husband, father and coal merchant living in the traditional Irish town of New Ross in County Wexford, is facing his busiest season. During his delivery rounds, he discovers that the local convent is in fact a cruel institution that takes in so-called ‘fallen girls and women.’ His reaction to this discovery forces him to confront some hard truths about the convent,...

Cillian Murphy first cut his teeth at the Corcadorca Theatre Company in his hometown of Cork, Ireland at the age of 20, where he nailed the audition for his first acting role in Enda Walsh’s “Disco Pigs” play. Murphy made enough of an impression to not only land the role for the theater part, but he also starred in the film adaptation years later. Although the movie wasn’t necessarily a renowned success, his performance caught the eye of Danny Boyle: the legendary filmmaker, then searching for a lead in his post-apocalyptic thriller, “28 Days Later.” That movie would significantly boost Murphy’s profile, earning him nominations for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards and Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards.

With 40 movies and 27 years to his career, Murphy seems to be progressing with each appearance, and his latest role was his biggest yet. As the titular...

Cillian Murphy's latest role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" has garnered significant buzz and critical acclaim, with some predicting that his intimate, complex portrayal of the man behind the atomic bomb will earn him an Oscar nomination. Though Murphy is undoubtedly brilliant in the biographical epic, the Irish actor has had over 25 years of preparation for the role through a number of projects in film, TV, and theater.

Murphy, like many actors, began his acting career on stage. In 1996, he made his stage debut in Enda Walsh's play "Disco Pigs," which was later adapted into a feature film starring Murphy in 2001. By the early 2000s, the actor took on several roles, but his role as Jim in the post-apocalyptic horror film "28 Days Later" propelled him into Hollywood. In 2005, he starred in "Batman Begins" and began what would become a decades-long collaborative friendship with Christopher Nolan.

For most of his young life, Cillian Murphy wanted to be a musician. Strumming away on his guitar and hammering on piano keys, the eventual “Oppenheimer” star wouldn’t shift his focus to acting until his early twenties. Murphy gained a larger following in film and on TV than from theater, although he has appeared on stage throughout his career and as recently as 2019.

The Irish actor frequently enjoys roles showcasing his live performance skills and musical talents; see “Disco Pigs,” “Watching the Detectives,” and “Breakfast on Pluto.” Still, the transition to acting initially left Murphy with a bit of imposter syndrome, uncertain that he would ever reach the stardom he has today.

“Because I never trained as an actor, because I wanted to be a musician, I’ve always felt slightly like a bit of an interloper,” Murphy said to Deadline.

If there’s one person who would disagree...

Cillian Murphy is a celebrated Irish actor who is best known for his engrossing role as Tommy Shelby in the British drama series Peaky Blinders and for starring roles A Quiet Place Part 2 and Oppenheimer, incredible performances which earned him international recognition.

Cillian Murphy Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Cillian Murphy was born on May 25, 1976 (Cillian Murphy age: 47) in Douglas, Cork, Ireland. His father was employed by the Department of Education, while his mother taught French. Murphy’s grandfather, aunts, and uncles were also, ironically, teachers.

Murphy grew up in Ballintemple, Cork, along with his two younger sisters, Orla and Sile, as well as his younger brother Páidi.

At ten years old, Murphy began writing and performing songs he created. He was raised Catholic and studied at the Catholic secondary school Presentation Brothers College, where he excelled academically, but frequently found himself getting into trouble due to mischievous behavior.

Cillian Murphy is arguably most known for his acclaimed roles on screen, ranging from Scarecrow in The Dark Knight film series to Tommy Shelby in "Peaky Blinders." Cillian's career began in theater in the later 1990s. Just a few years after he started acting professionally, he landed the role of Jim in the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror flick "28 Days Later," which led to breakthrough roles in other films throughout the 2000s, including multiple collaborations with Christopher Nolan, like "Batman Returns" and "Inception." Cillian's latest work with Nolan, "Oppenheimer," is already generating buzz from critics and viewers ahead of its July 21 theatrical release.

When he isn't preparing for his next role, though, Cillian spends time sharing parenting duties with his wife, Yvonne McGuinness. The two met in the late 1990s while Cillian was touring for the play "Disco Pigs." Cillian and McGuinness dated for a few years before tying the knot in 2004, as reported by People.

Cillian Murphy is a man of many faces, an actor who is as comfortable facing off against giant insects as he is creating an atomic bomb.

A renowned theater actor in Ireland, Murphy made his first major screen appearance in 2001’s “Disco Pigs,” the film version of a play in which he had starred on stage. His film career grew to include genre work in science fiction (“Sunshine”), thrillers (“Red Eye”) and horror. Throughout his career, Murphy has balso balanced his more commercial films with such acclaimed indies as “The Party,” “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” and “Breakfast on Pluto” for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Murphy’s most fruitful collaboration, however, has been with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, with whom Murphy has made five previous film appearances — major supporting roles in “Batman Begins” (2005) and “Inception” (2010), as well as cameos in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises...

Seven Kings Must Die concludes the story of Uhtred Ragnarsson, a decades-long frenemy of the English crown since the days of King Alfred the Great. It’s largely adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s final instalment in his Saxon Stories books, War Lord, along with elements of the two previous novels, and tracks the contested succession to the royal throne following the death of King Edward.

A significant time jump has taken place since the final moments of The Last Kingdom season five, during which Aelswith, Hild and Eadith have all passed or moved away. A core of male characters remains though, including Uhtred, Finan, Sihtric, Father Pyrlig and Aldhelm. They’re joined by brand new characters, as below.

Laurie Davidson as Ingilmundr

The biggest addition to The Last Kingdom’s regular cast is Aethelstan’s new trusted advisor, Ingilmundr, a Danish-born Christian who shows a powerful influence over King Edward’s successor.

Since he was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA (which he later won) for his scene-stealing supporting performance in The Banshees of Inisherin, there’s been much talk about Barry Keoghan’s inspiring rise to fame.

As will likely be etched into Irish folklore as his Hollywood trajectory continues its sharp ascent, the Dubliner — born in one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods — would spend seven years in foster homes as a child. It was only around 2008, aged 16, when Keoghan’s love of movies was piqued by an ad in a shop window looking for actors for a new crime drama that was being shot locally. Three years later, he landed a role in Irish TV series Love/Hate (which would become a breeding ground for young Irish talent), followed by 2014’s indie hit ‘72, before breaking out internationally in 2017 with both Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

The Irish playwright is known both for feverishly claustrophobic plays – including his latest, Medicine – and big commercial hits. If a project doesn’t feel right, he fires himself

Lockdown, went one joke on Twitter, was like being in a play by Enda Walsh. The closed worlds of the Irish dramatist could have been made for the pandemic. His characters don’t need a government edict to stay at home; they are too ensnared by their own warped logic to do anything else.

Walsh takes introspection to feverish, funny and surreal extremes. His breakthrough hit, Disco Pigs, was about two teenagers who spoke only in a private language. The Walworth Farce imagined a family of Irish expats endlessly re-enacting a play in their front room. Ballyturk took place in a hermetically sealed house where two men invented the life of the town outside.

Evanna Lynch is joining the 27th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” and she’ll be the very first “Harry Potter” alum to compete for the Mirror Ball Trophy. Will she cast a spell on the judges and viewers at home? The new season begins on September 24, so before Lynch and her competitors take the stage, let’s consider her pros and cons as a contestant.

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Pros

At the age of 14 Lynch won the role of Luna Lovegood in the second half of the “Harry Potter” film series, beginning with 2007’s “Order of the Phoenix” and concluding with 2011’s “Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” Since then Lynch reprised her role as Luna in a stage musical titled “A Very Potter Senior Year” opposite Darren Criss in the title role. The enormous fan base behind “Harry Potter” could give her a big boost...

Irish actress of the screen and stage, Evanna Lynch, knows a thing or two about the complexities of growing up. From her role in the Harry Potter films as Luna Lovegood to her time on stage in Disco Pigs at Irish Rep as Runt, Lynch has felt the deepest emotions of these characters as they navigate adolescence. Coming from across the pond, this special 20th anniversary revival has made Chelsea's Irish Repertory its home and gives Us audiences the opportunity to celebrate the milestone - through March 4th only...

Irish playwright Enda Walsh burst on the theater scene with his 1997 one-act two-hander “Disco Pigs,” which now enjoys a propulsive revival at Off Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre. Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood of the “Harry Potter” films) and Colin Campbell, reprising their roles from a London production last year, play two 17-year-olds who were born on the same day in the same hospital in the Irish city of Cork — and who have grown up together as quasi-twins. The pair share private nicknames — Lynch is Runt and Campbell is Pig — and have spent so much time together that they...

And look at that, not a leprechaun in sight.

For a relatively small island with a tiny film industry, Ireland certainly gets a lot of representation in movies — sometimes via other places masquerading as Ireland, other times by representing other places (the beach landing scene in Saving Private Ryan was shot in Wexford, for example) or worlds (Ahch-To in The Force Awakens), and occasionally it even gets to play itself. The island also exports a rather impressive number of cinematic talents considering the fact that, though every third or forth person you meet on the street in, say, Boston or Chicago (a lot of places, really) will claim Irish heritage, the Republic of Ireland has a population of slightly less than 4.6 million and Northern Ireland slightly more than 1.8 million, bringing the island to a total of only around 6.4 million. In other words, still around 2 million less than before the Famine, over...

Ireland, for its tiny size and small population, can boast of a lot of wonderful native films. Whenever people think about Irish cinema – two major themes emerge. First, there is Ireland’s turbulent historical and political past which makes good cinematic fodder, and secondly there are all the films exposing either poverty and drunkenness (Angela’s Ashes being the most famous film of this ilk) or clerical abuse (The Magdalene Sisters).

I have not included films about Ireland as they tend to be very stereotyping – for example, The Quiet Man and Darby O’Gill and the Little People. I have let Irish cinema speak for itself with powerful masterpieces of cinema, quirky contemporary films and some very funny comedies.

Whatever you are after, there is an Irish film to satisfy you.

12. Disco Pigs (2001)

The adventures of Pig (Cillian Murphy) and Runt (Elaine Cassidy). They were born on the same day,...

Once was a surprise cinema hit – a micro-budget romance about an Irish busker and a Czech flower seller. Who better to adapt it for stage than self-confessed misanthrope Enda Walsh? The playwright recalls his journey from cynic to proud, emotional wreck

We don't do musicals in Ireland. Well, not much. We like to keep our actors and musicians separate at all times. In separate counties, even. There is possibly a musical theatre company hidden on Sherkin Island doing a production of Wicked right now, but they haven't been found yet. And when they do find them, it will be a heavy dose of Samuel Beckett for those grinning fools. Why break into song and dance to exorcise your inner emotions when you can talk yourself through it? Over the years, I've added my own fair share of words to Irish theatre. You can't help it as an Irish person. We talk.

What makes some film soundtracks transcend from mere background music to helping a director tell a story and help invoke an emotional response? Is it a clever mix of well chosen tunes that capture the zeitgeist or an eclectic mix of older material that either captures a time and place or sets a tone of nostalgia? The answer varies depending on the feature film. 2012 was a fantastic year for original motion picture movie scores but not so good for soundtracks. Still, Simon and I have managed to pull a list of what we feel were the very best.

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Tabu

The second half of Tabu by Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes, is the direct opposite of what came before. Gomez effortlessly shifts gears omitting any audible dialogue except for a persistent (but suave) voice-over narration from one of the characters – combined with lush synchronized ambient sounds, a few sparse foley effects, and...

Disco Pigs made a star of playwright Enda Walsh and his lead, Cillian Murphy. Now, 15 years on, the pair have reunited for a drama about a crazed smalltown preacher

The first time I met Enda Walsh was in the summer of 1997 at a writers' retreat in County Monaghan. Back then, he was working on the first draft of a new play, the proposed follow-up to the phenomenally successful Disco Pigs, which made his name. Fifteen years later, that same play, called Misterman and starring Cillian Murphy, is about to open on the Lyttelton stage at the National Theatre in London, having played to packed audiences and rave reviews in New York. What happened, I ask him, in the years in between?

"Oh, it drove me mad," he says, laughing his oddly demonic laugh. "I tried to make it work with me acting in it, then I just put it aside...

Continuing its festival run this week at SXSW, following its Berlin premiere, is a remarkable Irish film, "Dollhouse," directed by Kirsten Sheridan. The trippy, pulsing story of a home invasion scenario that is by turns scary, funny and surreal (you can read our review here), the film gained a special mention in Berlin, which is also where we caught up with its director.

Sheridan was previously nominated for an original screenplay Oscar (for co-writing her father Jim Sheridan's "In America"), and gained a lot of positive notice for her debut feature, the Cillian Murphy breakout "Disco Pigs." Following that was a perhaps ill-advised foray into Hollywood for the schmaltzy "August Rush" (about which she speaks candidly below). With "Dollhouse" only her third feature, and a startling departure from both of her previous outings, we sincerely hope the Dublin-based filmmaker won't leave it so long till her next. As our...

In no particular order, here’s a list of movies either based in Ireland or with an Irish connection. The Snapper The Guard 28 Days Later Disco Pigs The Actors My Left Foot Millers Crossing In Bruges Happy St.Patricks Day to everybody, no doubt the fighting, drinking and sheep molesting is starting. On the off chance that you’re not partaking in some mutton molestation today…or painting yourself green here’s some extras on the above selections from the crew here at The Movie Bit. Vic: For some vintage Colm Meaney (and his finest performance comes in Parked)and even if it is quite brief, some vintage Brendan Gleeson, check out The Snapper. Based on the Roddy Doyle, this is nothing but pure hilarity about pregnancy. And speaking of Brendan Gleeson, that dude has been in everything from Braveheart to Artificial Intelligence, but one of his finer moments has to be in The Guard.

Yesterday, we ran through fifteen movies that we're dying to see at this year's SXSW, but the Austin, Texas festival doesn't just have world premieres: there's also a selection of films that have played film fests elsewhere in the world over the few last months, from Venice and Toronto to Sundance and Berlin.

As it happens, we've had Playlist agents at all those festivals too, and below we've picked out thirteen known quantities, films that we can definitively say are either worth checking out, and worth avoiding (thankfully, not too many of the latter). Read on for our verdicts, and stay tuned for comprehensive coverage from SXSW, which runs from Friday March 9th to Saturday the 17th.

“21 Jump Street”

Synopsis: Two bored, fresh-faced cops are transferred to a new department and sent undercover to bust a drug-running ring in a high school.

Our Verdict: After "Bridesmaids" had a raucous reception last year,...

Inception star Cillian Murphy was honoured in his native Ireland as he picked up a top drama prize at the 2012 Irish Times Theatre Awards.

Murphy was named Best Actor on Monday for his performance as disturbed character Thomas Magill in the one-man production Misterman.

Accepting his trophy, Murphy singled out the show's playwright and director Enda Walsh, who originally gave him his big break in the stage show Disco Pigs.

He told the crowd, "I only have two words for this really: Enda Walsh. Fifteen years ago he gifted me a career with his play Disco Pigs and 15 years later he gifted me the part of Thomas Magill in Misterman."

Misterman was previously staged in New York and at Ireland's Galway Arts Festival; it will next be seen in London's National Theatre in April.

"Dollhouse" contains a deceptively simple premise that benefits greatly from its free-form style. Kirsten Sheriden, working on a smaller and more experimental scale than her previous efforts "August Rush" and "Disco Pigs," follows an enthusiastic gang of young hooligans as they break into a  posh home and wreck havoc wherever they see fit. When the homeowner herself surfaces and joins in the fun, the evening grows increasingly strange and intangible, venturing beyond the realm of plausibility with a giddy approach that matches the intruders' carefree energy. Based off a 15-page outline that the small cast built out moment by moment during the shoot, "Dollhouse" signifies one of the more inventive uses of improvisation in recent memory. According to Sheridan in a Q&A following the film's Berlin International Film Festival premiere, the actors discovered plot twists along with their characters. The result is a...

Pavel Antonov Cillian Murphy as Thomas Magill in “Misterman”

When it comes to Irish actor Cillian Murphy, much has been made about three things: his blue eyes, his “chameleonic” ability to play both angelic and villainous roles, and his possible return as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in the Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

(a. Enough has been said about his eyes. b. As he demonstrates in his new play, “Misterman,” he can inhabit both angel and villain in the same role.

Following an immensely acclaimed world premiere at the Galway Arts Festival this past summer, St. Ann's Warehouse and Imagine Ireland will present the American Premiere of Misterman, November 30-December 21 at St. Ann's Warehouse. Murphy makes his American stage debut with a tour-de-force solo performance in this Landmark Productions Galway Arts Festival co-production, his first collaboration with playwrightdirector Enda Walsh since Disco Pigs, which launched both men's careers 15 years ago.

Following an immensely acclaimed world premiere at the Galway Arts Festival this past summer, St. Ann's Warehouse and Imagine Ireland will present the American Premiere of Misterman, November 30-December 21 at St. Ann's Warehouse. Murphy makes his American stage debut with a tour-de-force solo performance in this Landmark Productions Galway Arts Festival co-production, his first collaboration with playwrightdirector Enda Walsh since Disco Pigs, which launched both men's careers 15 years ago.

The Irish actor makes a perfect villain for new sci-fi flick In Time, but will he make a return as Scarecrow in the next Batman film?

Cillian Murphy's eyes are more famous than he is. He must envy them. The rest of him is pretty well known too, but his eyes have inspired whole websites, Facebook fan pages and amateur YouTube montages. A Tumblr page succinctly called Fuck Yeah, Cillian Murphy's Eyes consists of pages and pages of photographs of the actor, looking up, down, left, right, blinking, winking, staring, gazing – you name it. There are discussions as to exactly what shade of blue they are. "The colour of the sea on a bright summer's day"? Or, "The bluest blue of all the very blue blues"?

Yes, people really do have that much time on their hands, but the eyes have doubtless helped their host to find work.

Filmbase has been open for 25 years and Irish talent that have cut their teeth at the Temple Bar based centre include Kristen Sheridan (Disco Pigs, August Rush), John Wallace (co-producer Rewind, Runners), Thomas Heffernan (Writer, The Pool), Martina Niland (Snap, Sarah & Steve) and John Moore (Max Payne). With an ample scope of training subjects and wide range of course formats, Iftn takes a closer look at the upcoming training programme at Filmbase.

Cillian Murphy is set to tread the boards in New York City this year in the critically acclaimed hit play “Misterman”. The play written by Enda Walsh is set to transfer to New York’s St Ann’s Warehouse later this year as part of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year of Irish arts in America. The original production of the play premiered at the Black Box Theatre as part of the 2011 Galway Arts Festival. “Misterman” features Cillian Murphy star of “Inception”, “Breakfast on Pluto” and “The Wind that Shakes the Barley” and is written and directed by Enda Walsh (“Penelope”, “The Walworth Farce” and “Hunger”). This is the first time in 15 years, since “Disco Pigs” that this Irish pair has worked together. ------------------- Read More: Sexy new stills of Robert Pattinson released -See Photo Sinead O’Connor announces winner of her perfect man contest The secret of Bono's great...

A musical based on the Oscar-winning film, Once, will be part of the New York Theatre Workshop’s 2011-2012 season. The 2007 film’s stars and songwriters, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, are collaborating with director John Tiffany (Black Watch), choreographer Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), and playwright Enda Walsh (Disco Pigs).

Read more:

‘Once’ to get Broadway treatment

‘Once’ more: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová on their break-up, their new record, and the future of their band

Gallery: 25 Most Romantic Gestures in Film...

Released on DVD on March 14th, Savage is the debut feature from writer-director Brian Muldowney and stars Darren Healy (Disco Pigs; Layer Cake) and Nora-Jane Noone (The Day Of The Triffids; The Descent; The Magdalene Sisters) in a gritty and brutal “Straw Dogs”-meets-“Taxi Driver” exploration of violence, obsession and revenge that has been described as “uncompromising… utterly compelling… [and] not for the faint-hearted”.

Dubliner Paul Graynor (Darren Healy) works as a freelance press photographer, visually documenting the day-to-day events of a vibrant city that, like many others, is becoming increasingly hostile and threatening. What Paul doesn’t realise is he is about to become front-page tabloid news himself. Walking home alone at night after a date with Michelle (Nora-Jane Noone), the care worker who is responsible for looking after his ailing father, Paul is accosted and violently assaulted by two youths.

Left unconscious by his attackers, he awakes several...

Irish indie production “Savage” marks the debut of writer-director Brian Muldowney, and is basically a “Taxi Driver” style tale of urban ills and revenge, showing a distinctly non-tourist friendly side to the streets of Dublin. The film features Darren Healy (“Disco Pigs”, “Layer Cake”) in the lead, with support from Nora-Jane Noone (“The Day of the Triffids”, “The Descent”) and various nasty looking young thugs. Having enjoyed a measure of critical praise at festivals, the film now arrives on region 2 DVD via High Fliers Films, coming complete with commentary by and a Q&A session with Muldowney, plus cast auditions. Healy stars as Dubliner Paul Graynor, a press photographer whose trade often brings him into contact with the worst of humanity. One night, walking home after a date with his elderly father’s care worker Michelle (Noone), the poor man is attacked by a couple of particularly vicious youths, who...

To Kill A Mockingbird At 50 might just be the TV choice of the week, as we round up the next week's telly. Plus, as usual, there's a lot of films to get through...!

A new comedy show launched last Friday, and its second show airs tonight, July 2nd at 11:05pm on Channel 4. I'm far from Patrick Kielty's biggest fan, but any outlet for comedians of the calibre of the planned guests is a welcome one. Politics, news, and sporting losses are always easier to take when dished out by funny people and Rich Hall, Jack Whitehall, Andi Osho and Kevin Bridges do just that in an appropriate bar setting in Stand Up For The Week.

Family Guy continues its Star Wars specials on Sunday, July 4th, with Something, Something, Something, Dark Side. We think it's as good a pairing as Robot Chicken, Legos, or thumbs can manage.

The 63rd Cannes Film Festival is coming, guys! And today we are here to have a little chat about Chatroom, new Hideo Nakata’s movie, that’s set to play in Cannes this week.

It’s already being described as “a psychological thriller about teenagers who encourage each other’s destructive behavior.” And just for a beginning, let’s mention that the film stars recent Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson and Imogen Poots. Not bad for a start? Log in then…

More detailed synopsis part of Chatroom goes like this: “When jaded teens Jim, Eva, Emily, and Mo meet William online, they’re seduced by his charisma. But William isn’t what he seems. He’s calculating and manipulative and doesn’t have time for people in the real world. Jim is vulnerable and has no idea how dangerous his new friendship with William will be.

When Jim confesses he’s on anti-depressants,...

The first episode Series 3 of 'The Tudors' and the debut of 'Harper's Island' starring Irish actress Elaine Cassidy (Disco Pigs) in the lead role are both to premiere on Us television next week. 'The Tudors' season three is set to premiere on the Showtime channel on April 5th. New cast to join regulars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and co. include singer Joss Stone playing Henry's fourth wife Anne of Cleves and Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist) as Cardinal Von Waldburg. Production of the fourth series is scheduled to begin on 15 June 2008 in Ardmore Studios, Co. Wicklow. Meanwhile over on CBS, the drama 'Harper's Island' will premiere on April 9th with Irish actress Elaine Cassidy in a starring role of Abby Mills.

Alright, this is an interesting combination of talent. Hideo Nakata has directed some very good J-Horror films. He has a good eye. And you don’t win the Cannes Camera d’Or by submitting your diary. So including the writing talents of scribe Enda Walsh adds more credibility to the project.

Hideo Nakata, the Japanese helmer of “The Ring Two,” “Ringu” and “Dark Water,” will direct “Chatroom,” a psychological thriller about teenagers who encourage each other’s destructive behavior. Pic, being sold by new sales company WestEnd Films, will be Nakata’s first original helming effort in English. “Chatroom” was written by Enda Walsh as an adaptation of his own stage play. The Irish playwright won the Cannes Camera d’Or for first film in 2001 with his “Disco Pigs” and recently penned Steve McQueen’s “Hunger”. “Nakata has come up with something very visual, very conceptual, and situated somewhere between ‘Disturbia’ and ‘Cube,...

Japanese filmmaker Hideo Nakata is set to helm “Chatroom,” a psychological thriller Variety says follows teenagers who encourage each other's destructive behavior.

According to the trade, Enda Walsh wrote the script based on his own stage play. Walsh previous writing credits include “Disco Pigs” and Steve McQueen’s drama “Hunger.”

As for Nakata, he’s the man who directed the original “Ringu” and “Ringu 2,” as well as Hollywood’s 2005 remake “The Ring Two.”

IMDb has currently listed him as helmer for “The Ring Three,” but I don’t think we need another installment in the series. “Two” was not that bad, but it obviously lacked the creepiness and suspense of the first “Ring” remake.

Japanese director Hideo Nakata will direct Chatroom, a psychological thriller about teens who encourage destructive behavior amongst one another. Nakata previously directed the original horror movies The Ring and Dark Water. The film is written by Enda Walsh who won the Cannes Camera d'Or for Disco Pigs in 2001. Judging by her resume this is precisely the kind of thing my beloved Mary Elizabeth Winstead will throw her hat into, but to be honest I'd rather she keep her schedule free just in...