User reviews

This film is about a transvestite on one level, but it is also a lot more: it's about, belonging, being, loving and being loved. What could have been a one-dimensional caricature becomes a three dimensional movie in the hands of a good director like Neil Jordan, and actors such as Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, and Cillian Murphy (who is magnificent).

Cillian Murphy imbues Patrick "Kitten" with growing dignity as he/she matures through the film, and at the end she has become a self-assured woman, who has 'found' family, her mother and father, and a meaning in life.

The film does not shy away from the Irish-English conflict, either, and the prejudice directed against "Paddy" is appalling, reminiscent of "In the Name of the Father." It is not for the faint-hearted, be aware! Costumes and music of the late 60's / early 70's are both equally impressive. There is an excellent soundtrack.

In all, I found the film quirky and uplifting; a friend with me pronounced it "depressing". Whatever, it needs to be seen and Provo's an interesting view of the times in which the story is set. Judge for ourself.

Based on the novel by Pat McCabe, "Breakfast on Pluto" takes us on a loopy journey through the turbulent years of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Our guide for the occasion is one Patrick "Kitten" Jordan, a hopelessly romantic transvestite who finds himself looking for love in all the wrong places.

The story begins in 1956 Ireland, when Patrick, as an infant, is left on the doorstep of a local priest who may just possibly be the father of the child. As Patrick grows up in the care of a bitter foster mother, he comes to learn that his real mother was a beautiful young woman - a dead ringer, he's told, for Mitzi Gaynor - who worked as a housekeeper for the priest, then disappeared in London not long after Patrick was born. With his effeminate mannerisms and penchant for wearing women's clothing, Patrick does not exactly fit into the highly conformist world of Irish Catholic society, and, as a result, he suffers much abuse at the hands of his less-than-understanding parochial school teachers who have no idea what to make of him. But Patrick has unlocked the secret to survival. He simply gives back as good as he gets, using sardonic humor and an air of indifference to protect himself from the ugliness and harshness of the society around him. Even if he is only laughing to cover up the hurt, at least it beats crying his eyes out at every bump in the road life throws his way.

Eventually, Patrick becomes old enough to leave home and make his own way in the world. The film relates his brief involvements with a rock-n-roll band, some IRA gun runners, and an exploitative magician, as well as his eventual journey to London to find the mother who abandoned him. While there, he has a brief stint as a streetwalker and is even arrested as the prime suspect in a dancehall firebombing. But all of these travails are just brief downpours in Patrick's life experience, and while they may dampen his mood at times, they can't extinguish his spirit.

Writer/director Neil Jordan has turned McCabe's novel into a fast paced (if overlong) film filled with warmth, humor and a sort of cockeyed optimism that helps to counterbalance some of the grim social issues (prejudice, child abandonment, terrorism) that lie along the story's periphery. The film occasionally feels aimless and episodic and some of Patrick's experiences are more compelling than others. Most of the subsidiary characters are left sketchy and underdeveloped, but that really doesn't matter all that much because Patrick has enough personality for the lot of them. And Cillian Murphy makes what could easily have been just another mincing gay stereotype into a multi-dimensional character of substance and depth. Most of the other actors (Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea et. al.) aren't given enough screen time to make much of an impression, though Neeson nicely underplays the role of Patrick's priest and father.

Patrick knows that, when the going gets tough, we all need to journey to that special place of imagination and beauty where we can find security and comfort. For Patrick, as the title suggests, that place is Pluto. However, now that that particular celestial object has lost its planetary status, I wonder if Patrick will still be traveling there to partake in the most important meal of the day.

While this is not a completely conventional film either in structure or storytelling, it is deeply committed to telling the story of Kitten. Just as the film is committed, so is Cillian Murphy committed to being the best Kitten he can, and he succeeds to an almost uncomfortable point, which I think is part of the storytellers goal.

Who does not want to be loved? Not many of us, and Kitten wants it more than most. Her journey to find love in whatever form it may take is both touching and harrowing at times. You cringe when she finds her self in certain situations, and you root for her to take charge of her life, but that is something she is quite unable to do for the most part of her journey.

While this story features the good, the bad and the ugly of the transvestite lifestyle, there is no judgment being made, it is presented as a simple fact of Kitten's life from nearly the first time you see her. That in itself is refreshing. There are stereotypes, but not presented in stereotypical situation, which is also refreshing.

I came away from this movie with a warm feeling in my heart for the character, the story, and the commitment of everyone involved in the film, it drew me in, it took me to places I did not expect, and it gave me a film experience you simply can not find every day in our cookie cutter Hollywood film world these days. My hat is off to all of you involved in the film. If you like something different, something unexpected, and something unusual made with a lot of love, this is the film for you.

as my heading this really declares om what i believe is true.Cillian Murphy has delivered yet another amazing performance.this young Irish actor deserves all the credit that is given to him recently.He will sore into the spotlight for sure after this movie.I for one do not think this movie as my best cillian performance..Disco pigs rates high up in my charts,so does the Character Jim in 28 days later which i do believe to be his best acting yet,he was great in intermission,also red-eye and batman..which I'm sure he will be in the new batman due out in 2008 BTW. as it says he is a developing characters in this movie so I'm not too sure but fingers crossed eh folks.

There's never been a character like "Kitten" on the screen before or an actor like Cillian Murphy for that matter. What a feast of a film! What a joyful race through a desolate existence dressed in smiles and hope and gratefulness. Neil Jordan's introduce us to this extraordinary real life character with the magical slant of a fairy tale. A lesson for all seasons. A unique portrait of a victim that behaves like a hero. The idea of victim doesn't even enter the orbit of his reality. How beautiful! I hope this marvellous film find its way to a large audience. I want everyone to feel what I felt. I was enthralled by the positiveness at the heart of its message. And if all this wasn't enough. Liam Neeson! Giving the best performance of his career as the most human of the imperfect humans that populate the planet. Do yourself a favour, put aside preconceptions and run to have breakfast on Pluto.

I found this movie one morning on cable. I couldn't stop watching it.

Cillian Murphy is mesmerizing. His performance makes you want to watch this movie. He deserved to win the Golden Globe in 2006 for his performance.

The only negative is you must listen hard to understand the text of the movie as the accents and language are thick and difficult to understand at times.

Liam Neeson is also outstanding in this movie as well. Without giving anything away, he has one scene where he goes to Kitten in London and explains things. I cried!

It is definitely worth watching.

Cillian Murphy is superb as an alien of sorts finding its way in our midst. Giving the other cheek as if it was nothing. The goodness, Cillian Murphy, finds in his character goes - I'm sure - far beyond what the screenplay may have required. The goodness of his character feels private. A personal discovery. I hope I'm not making the character sound sentimental, because he/she's not, far from it and that is one of the many surprises to be enjoyed in a film full of surprises. Neil Jordan had already confronted sexual identity in the brilliant "The Crying Game" he, as far as I'm concerned, goes even further in "Breakfast On Pluto". There is no confusion here, everything is blatantly true. Moving beyond words. A mesmerizing piece of acting and film making of the purest kind. Don't miss it.

If David Bowie was right and there's "Life on Mars" then why not have "Breakfast on Pluto"

Cillian Murphy throws himself into the title role of Kitten herself. This Neil Jordan joint comes out 13 years after his excellent "Crying Game" and it comes out unabashedly. Kitten pretty clearly identifies as a girl/woman from the earliest memories shown.

I believe the era for both films is the 70's in Ireland, and "The Troubles" are definitely more than a subplot in each. That said, I found myself worried about Kitten for her own sake and whatever lowercase troubles she would encounter.

There is a an innocence to Murphy's portrayal of her, and often it came across to me as naivete. But maybe I'm just too paranoid but I was often anxious watching her from school to the streets. In a weird way this film reminded me of Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" in the charmed existence that our leading femme avoids fatalities. For me, it's a bit like watching a blind poodle prance across a six-lane highway.

The film itself moves more assuredly, thanks in part to the fantastic soundtrack (which I'm streaming while writing this; recommended if you have just seen or are about to see the movie, music can so deftly set an emotional setting). The use of music (and fashion) playfully help to herald jumps in time and whisper secret messages at the same time.

At the movie's heart there is certainly a message of love, and the actions are driven by the quest for the lost mother. Or is it lost father, or even lost Father.

The characters Kitten comes across added a lot to the fun. My personal favorite was Brendan Gleeson. Honestly in my US youth and ignorance I never knew about the Wombles. Stephen Rea magically summons elements of his Crying Game character and Gavin Friday of the Virgin Prunes is pretty crucial both in giving the film its title and more importantly as one of the first to help Kitten land on her feet on her quest.

Hmmm, listening to the Bobby Goldsboro song now "Honey" which means a lot to Kitten and the movie. Quite poignant. The less said, the more felt.

Hah the music segued into "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" - for people who feel outcast or abandoned or lower-case troubled, I can only wish they find half of that chipper cheer in their own soundtrack. Truly I hope they somehow land on their feet even in a war-zone like Kitten does, just be a tad careful with that naivete.

This spellbinding, tightly written, tightly wound, full speed ahead film is Neil Jordan's best work by far since his 1992 hit, "The Crying Game." And, interestingly, in this new film, Jordan returns to exactly the same intertwined themes that marked "Crying Game": the armed struggle of Northern Irish Catholics against the British Crown and gender bending.

Unlike the last minute revelations in "Crying Game," however, here the protagonist's transsexuality is placed front and center from the getgo. Cillian Murphy gives a bravura performance as Patrick "Kitten" Braden, in a story set in the 60s and 70s. Murphy oozes sensual vitality and is a world class flirt, but he's also genuinely kind and compassionate toward everybody.

The story is divided into 35 brief, fast paced "chapters" following Kitten's life over several years, first in a village near Belfast, later in London. The musical score, which is extraordinarily good, is an eclectic mix of everything from 40s pop tunes to Harry Nilsson and Van Morrison. Good supporting turns are provided by Liam Neeson, Ruth Negga, Stephen Rea, Gavin Friday and Brendan Gleeson. My top rated narrative drama of 2005: grade 10/10 A.

Shown at the New York Film Festival, October 2005. Limited US release November and December 2005.

Neil Jordan and Patrick McCabe have collaborated in adapting McCabe's 1992 novel recounting the multi-faceted adventures of a transvestite from a little Irish town near the northern border who grows up in the Sixties and Seventies. This unusual and chronically upbeat person is Patrick/Patricia "Kitten" Braden (Cillian Murphy), who goes to London in his twenties to find his birth mother – "The Phantom Lady," he calls her – who abandoned him as a baby on the doorsteps of a parish priest (Father Bernard, Liam Neeson). "Pluto" is a whirl of theatrical experiences – including stints as a rocker's "squaw" and a magician's assistant, not to mention street-walking and political violence which Kitten tries – not altogether successfully – to escape to live a fairytale life like the one described in Bobby Goldsboro's saccharine "Honey" and a lot of other bad pop songs that provide the movie's soundtrack. The story's divided into dozens of jaunty little chapters. Kitten/Patricia's fairy tale is really anything but pretty, but it's colorful and intentionally amusing and shows both Jordan and the unusual and strangely watchable Murphy working at an extremely manic pitch.

This NYFF "centerpiece" has a kind of epic squalor. One must admire the smooth wheels of its giddy storytelling, but the talent of the young man with the pretty face, big cheekbones, and hauntingly big pale blue eyes is somewhat misused. He nails the resilient sweetness of his character a little too early and then tries to hog the screen with a one-note performance for over two hours. Lots of other good actors, including Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson, Gavin Friday, Ian Hart and Bryan Perry, keep him from succeeding completely in that aim, but the movie isn't up to Jordan's best work, such as "Mona Lisa" and "The Crying Game." I'd rather watch it than "Interview with a Vampire," though, and it's another big notch on Cillian Murphy's ladder to fame.

First let me start off by saying, I had every hope for this film being amazing, seeing as I am hopelessly in love with Cillian Murphy and have NEVER been disappointed in any of his movies. But, come on! The entire plot moved in an aimless, lethargic, trudge that was only enough to keep you from turning it off but not even close to enough to get you to keep from zoning out.I didn't feel depth in a single character, and found them easily forgettable: not the least endearing. It struggled to try and make its theme be "prufundity in differences" but ended up with meaningless garbage that wasn't even entertaining. Depite the fact that I gave Cillian every benefit of the doubt, I couldn't for one second believe that the boy was a convincing female. While I'll admit he looked OK, the voice and mannerisms had a decidedly male attitude. Anyway, I just thought it would be nice to have a comment from someone that found everything about this movie boring and trying so hard to be deep that it ends up floundering helplessly in the shallow end of the preverbial pool.

I can't recall a film with more extreme acting than this one. Murphy is an extraordinary actor. Johnny Depp is said to maybe one day prove to be the best diversified actor of all time by taking on the character of Michael Jackson, but after seeing Murphy on film these two guys leave me in question. Although I'm irish myself, I have to go with my irish boy Cillian Murphy to take the cake. Johnny from my home town of Broward County, Florida is a nearby icon. But...There is always a butt...Red Eye was a nail biting thriller. Breakfast on Pluto was a skirt lifting blower. I know that Murphy lives a simple life, but I hope there are no plans for him to retire quite yet. I must see more.

This film is fabulous- and has nothing to do with the solar system (haha!) Cillian Murphy is AMAZING in his complicated role as a trans-sexual man growing up in Ireland in the 1970's and his quest to find what he wants in his life. (Do not judge Mr. Murphy's acting skills from just watching Batman Begins or Red Eye this level of acting falls more in the type of his earlier works such as On the Edge and Disco Pigs) Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, and Brandon Gleeson are far more than excellent in supporting roles. This film is dependent on its star (Mr. Murphy) and he shines. The themes in this film are universal. Even while the story is sad and the situation the main character- Kitten-finds herself in are very sad, it somehow always becomes funny. The interaction between Kitten and the people around her is fascinating, funny and true-to-life. Mr. Murphy is amazing and deserves and Academy Award for his stunning and flawless portrayal of such a complicated character. It is fabulous!!! Don't want to spoil anything about the plot but if anyone has read the book DO NOT expect the same situations or ending.This film is tender, sweet, funny, has an amazing script and has actors that made this (to some) far-fetched (not to me or anyone I know but one could have that impression) fairy-tale like story excellent. If you strip away the complicated details of this trans-sexual Irish male and his travels during the 70's you can find the root, universal story of a young person looking for love.

With "Breakfast on Pluto," Neil Jordan attempts a whimsical picaresque tale but creates instead a pale and glaringly underdeveloped movie.

Cillian Murphy tries with all of his might to inject some vitality into the character of Patrick Braden, an effeminate boy who grows up to be a cross-dressing gamine, a sort of modern-day Scarlett O'Hara who wants to prance through life without getting his feet dirty in any of the world's messiness. Instead of the Civil War, the backdrop here is 1970s Ireland and the constant threat of violence posed by the IRA. Patrick leaves his home to search for his mother, who abandoned him when he was a babe, and inadvertently finds himself mixed up with the terrorist group. From there he flees to London and has all sorts of what we're supposed to think are nutty adventures, until a happy ending finds Patrick at peace and all right with the world.

None of this really works. Neil Jordan, a filmmaker whose repertoire suggests political preoccupations, does not seem at any moment convinced by the fantasy or optimism of his own film, so everything rings false. Nothing that happens to Patrick, good or bad, seems to have any significant consequences, and we don't ever really learn much about him or about what he himself has learned on his journey. I believe Jordan intends for us to believe that Patrick has grown as a person over the course of the film, but I only believe that because of the conventions of picaresque stories, not because I saw any growth in Patrick's character. The screenplay works double time to race through all of the plot points -- it feels as if the screenwriter were adapting an 800-page novel to the screen but didn't want to leave anything out. The story introduces a character in one scene only to send him packing two scenes later without having made any tangible impact on the story.

"Breakfast on Pluto" is not a bad movie, and despite its flaws still offers a moderately enjoyable ride. The awesome pulsing soundtrack helps greatly, and often does much of the work that should have fallen to either Jordan or his actors. I found myself at times responding to nothing but the music, which does not make for a whole-hearted recommendation of the film, but I'll take what I can get.

Grade: B-

A masterpiece. I have not seen many of Jordan's other works, but I intend to give his career a thorough examining after seeing Breakfast on Pluto. I also now have an immense respect for Cillian Murphy. To go from 28 Days Later and Red Eye to the layered, mesmerizing performance of Pluto is astounding. The story of using fantasy to escape the harshness of reality is so appealing, one would think this movie could be accepted by the masses. Dreamy visuals, multi layered and realistic characters mixed with stark visceral violence and political mechanisms create an emotionally jarring experience unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I intend to go to the film again and perhaps again. And I urge everyone to go and see this film and support it. Instantly in my top ten all time favorite movies. Bravo Mr. Jordan and Bravo Mr. Murphy.

Breakfast on Pluto (2005), written and directed by Neil Jordan, is the story of Patrick "Kitten" Brady (Cillian Murphy), a young man growing up and trying to survive in Ireland in the 1960's and '70's. The fact that Kitten is naive, gay, and a transvestite doesn't make life easy for him.

It's hard to know what to make of this movie-- Kitten never harms anyone, but many people harm him, so I didn't accept it as a comedy. Kitten travels from Ireland to London, always hoping for the best, usually receiving the worst, and never losing his faith in humanity. (More or less like Candide, only wearing a dress and high heels.) The Irish troubles are a central part of the plot, but--for me at least--it was hard to tell just who was shooting whom, and why. Finally, the Irish accents of some of the actors were so strong that I wished the film came with subtitles.

This is an unusual film, and, on balance, it's probably worth seeing. However, I think that it would be more effective for someone who understands the subtleties and complexities of the Irish political and cultural climate.

I lived in London in 1973, the year that the main character in the film arrives in London from Ireland.

Breakfast On Pluto caught the tone of London in 1973 so well that it was like re-living the past. A past when friendships were mighty and strong; a past when London was a sexually liberated city; a past when people were so wrapped up in television that the London park system had to hire people to dress up like the television creatures called wombles.

But more than bringing 1973 back to life for me, this film showed me an amazingly resilient Irishman named Kitten. To the people who think that a 135-minute film is way too long, I would tell them to go see Breakfast On Pluto, because those 135 minutes just fly by. And they are 135 minutes of great acting, across the board.

I really liked the opening and closing sequences of this film, including the robin dialogue – it added a nice whimsy and set the tone for the film. But at 2 hours and 15 minutes, there was a lot of tedium in between. The story had little coherence and never really engaged me. It just kind of chugged along from one chapter to another. I didn't have a problem with Cillian Murphy's character – it had more to do with the writing of the story.

The revelation by the priest seemed to be straight out of Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas. I generally like Jordan's film, but I didn't find much to like about this one. Others may may find it more entertaining.

I saw this on 10/2 at the NYFF-we got last minute tickets right up front. Neil Jordan was present at Q&A-an absolute treat. The film was simply wonderful from beginning to end--charming, emotionally satisfying, delicately nuanced and very powerful. The acting was sublime, as in all Jordan films. Cillian Murphy is so impossibly gorgeous and yet so fearless and skillful an actor, who uses his physicality to his supreme advantage. The Irish gang of three-Gleeson, Neeson and Rea, who usually appear in Jordan's films, were superb and touching as usual. There were wonderful casting touches--Bryan Ferry as a sicko, Gaivn Friday as a gay rockabilly, etc. The film was audacious, swerving mightily between broad comedy and grim tragedy. The most arresting elements were the amazing customes and the choice of 60s and 70s songs, something Jordan discussed in detail during the Q&A.

I urge all cineastes to catch this one-you will be amazed and deeply satisfied.

Cillian Murphy gives a brilliant and compelling performance as Patrick into Kitten, but I wish that I could have liked his character more and had more empathy with "his/her" journey in the film.

The music and the costumes take you back to those "glam rock" days of VELVET GOLDMINE with Murphy sashaying through scenes with various men that leads to London. Stephen Rea gives a marvelous performance as a Magician with his own issues to bear,let alone keep Murphy with him for very long. The scene in the London disco with the handsome English soldier who appears to accept Kitten for what she is, and then what transpires afterward, is haunting.

Act Three is really the best in the film when Kitten returns to help her best friend and finally makes the journey to move forward from her past. Kitten's final scene as she pushes the baby carriage with her best friend and gazes back at her mother and her son is one to remember.