Peacock

The film itself probably doesn't rate more than 3.5 stars because the plot of "Peacock" strains credibility a bit, but not nearly as much as it might have without Cillian Murphy's fantastic 5-star performance. In this film, he proves himself an actor with great scope and depth.

We learn at the outset (thus no spoiler here) that Murphis playing two characters, alternatively adopting the personality of an obviously dysfunctional young man during workaday hours as a bank file clerk--with a notable performance by Bill Pullman as his supervisor--and then transforming into his mysterious female counterpart, each living separate but connected lives in the same house. I'll say no more about the plot other than that it's a very original story, with appropriate nods to a few classics.

This is no "Tootsie" or "Some Like It Hot" cross-dressing story. This film and Murphy's performance are equally compelling and memorable. See it.

If you want to see an actor exceeding himself in a quite disturbing setting, you should give "Peacock" a try. Cillian Murphy plays the quite quiet bank employee John Skillpa who keeps his life and his whereabouts to himself. One of these aspects is Emma Skillpa, a second personality John has developed in secrecy. In the mornings, Emma takes - nicely made up and dressed - care of John's breakfast, lunch, and everything else a husband might have to do. After breakfast, John takes over and leaves for yet another day at work. Everything changes, though, when Emma is accidentally presented to the public and people in town are suddenly aware of her existence. Things start to turn and John's life is about to change dramatically.

A fantastic Susan Sarandon, a bittersweet Ellen Page, and a believable Josh Lucas play alongside Cillian Murphy who portrays both John and Emma convincingly. The pace of "Peacock" seems just fine and increases as it is supposed to be. I liked the directing of "Peacock" because it creates suspense and despair at the same time and catches the audience's attention nicely. The soundtrack is a wonderful addition to the somehow depressing settings of John's home and his office at work.

People looking for a movie that simply looks and feels good, will presumably not enjoy watching "Peacock". It is absolutely nothing to be seen in between or just to have a good time. The audience is forced to deal with John's mind, his life, and his past. Some questions might even be left unanswered after watching, but this also depends on the audience and the attention people pay.

I was truly satisfied with this movie and the actors' performances. Too bad "Peacock" did obviously not get the attention it deserves.

"Peacock" is an extremely strange movie. It is based in a small town called "Peacock" where John (Cillian Murphy) is a bank employee and leads a solitary life. What everyone is unaware of is that John dresses up as a woman(calling self Emma) very morning and does all the household chores like cooking breakfast, making lunch, cleaning the house, washing clothes etc. After that, "Emma" dresses up as "John" and begins his day by eating the breakfast, putting on neat clothes, taking the lunch box (all prepared by "Emma"). This routine of "Emma" and "John" continues everyday with no one being aware of the presence of "Emma".Until one day, due some incident, "Emma" comes to the attention of the entire town and everyone thinks of "Emma" as "John's wife". As a result, "John" starts playing "Emma" more often than earlier to avoid unwanted scenarios and a lot happens showcasing "John" troubled mental health and his struggle to keep up with both "John" and "Emma".

Cast-wise, it's a plethora of talent. Cillian Murphy has always been prodigious actor. It's unfortunate that his performance in this movie didn't get the recognition it deserves. His was probably one of the best performances in the decade. Susan Sarandon, Ellen Page, Josh Lucas all have a small, yet pivotal role, played with intent and unfeigned.

"Peacock" explores the fragile and unstable mental health of "John" due to an abusive and extremely reserved childhood. It's clear that "John" is suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, but the way both his personalities "John" and "Emma" competes with each others aspects, how they are aware of each others presence but do nothing to avoid it, how both have contrasting perceptions and beliefs, how both try to undo matters done by the other etc are portrayed superbly, but the overall premise is subject to multiple explanations.

Overall, "Peacock" strangeness lies in the fact that it offers or rather viewer can perceive multiple explanations for the turn of events in the movie. Having said that, "Peacock" is a satisfying watch, courtesy of Cillian Murphy.

My Verdict: 7/10

I'm not sure why this has such a low rating. It's not perfect, or a mind-blowing experience or something, but I thought it was a really interesting story, well-acted, especially with a wonderful performance by Cillian Murphy. It's sort of a Psycho-like story, without ever venturing into suspense or horror.

It's about an incredibly socially inept, anxiety-ridden young man named John, whose mother has died a year previously and he's been traumatized/psychologically damaged by the loss. He seems to have been both coddled/protected and smothered/extremely isolated by his mother's hermetic, semi-abusive love. She was all he had, exactly because of the way she raised him and formed his relationship to the world. Her upbringing of him, and also to a smaller extent her subsequent death/taking away of herself, both contributed to cripple him in his relationships with others. Not that much is revealed about her even by the end, and I would have liked to know more.

Cillian Murphy is so interesting and engaging to watch as the Willardesque character John, and the completely different female character, Emma, who is mild, benignant, with a quiet strength. I didn't ever not sympathize with Emma, even though I knew she was calculating. I pitied John, whose face is like a parade of his shifting emotions: his neurotic shyness, anxiety, almost childlike anger, and emotional frustration.

Cillian even looks different as John; he changes his appearance through his acting: through the way John purses his lips, carries his body, and his nervous facial tics, etc. (you will see what I mean when you see it). When he's Emma, he also looks different in accordance with her different personality. It's not like anything I've ever seen before! He must be doing something right, to be playing a character so different from his usual self, and two characters who are so different from each other, in such a thoroughgoing, immersive way as to be utterly convincing as each. It's like he completely becomes John, and then becomes Emma, and neither is at all "Cillian."

I think this movie deserves at least a 7. Some people have said that the story isn't that credible, but I didn't find anything wrong or that off about it (it's just that it doesn't really explain everything about his mother or her "true" nature, ultimately), and the protagonist himself is the driving force behind the movie, as he should be. Besides, it's a shame when people can't suspend their disbelief just a little when it's not really that central to the point of the movie and recognize the merit of it. I couldn't help thinking that maybe some people just don't like to see Cillian Murphy in a more humbling or "weird" role, and that's why they didn't enjoy it more.

I think a better title would have been "Emma," it's simple yet it really suits the movie and makes more of a point than "Peacock," which doesn't really evoke anything apart from just being the name of the town.

This film is about a young man whose life is radically changed by the death of his mother.

"Peacock" seems very slow at first, but as the story progresses, it becomes so captivating. The story follows John and the split personality called Emma. The two personalities fight with each other to control the situation. The abrupt ending encourages viewers to think hard about what happens in the film and makes viewers postulate what would happen next. It's clever story telling. Acting by Cillian Murphy is amazing, he is so at ease as Emma and so nervous as John.

The subject matter of "Peacock" may limit its popularity, which is a pity as this intriguing drama deserves wider recognition.