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Breakfast On Pluto
2005
Reuniting with writer Patrick McCabe, who co-scripted his acclaimed 1997 film THE BUTCHER BOY, Neil Jordan delivers another entertaining spectacle of a motion picture. Set in the United Kingdom during the tumultuous 1960s and 70s, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO tells the story of Patrick Kitten Braden (an electrifying Cillian Murphy), an .. Read more
| Starring | Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson |
|---|---|
| Director | Neil Jordan |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Comedy, Drama |
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Breakfast On Pluto
Reuniting with writer Patrick McCabe, who co-scripted his acclaimed 1997 film THE BUTCHER BOY, Neil Jordan delivers another entertaining spectacle of a motion picture. Set in the United Kingdom during the tumultuous 1960s and 70s, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO tells the story of Patrick Kitten Braden (an electrifying Cillian Murphy), an orphan from a small Irish town who dreams of escaping his drab surroundings. Though his orphan status is enough to make him an outsider, Patrick's gleeful decision to become the cross-dressing androgynous Kitten sends him into the outside world for good. He ends up at the trailer home of travelling musician Billy Rock (Gavin Friday), who is hiding weapons used by the IRA in a series of vicious attacks. After an unexpected tragedy, Kitten says farewell to Ireland and heads for the glamorous, rough-and-tumble streets of London, where she faces hatred and hardship in equal measure. Through it all, Kitten somehow retains her unwavering spirit, teaching a valuable lesson about staying hopeful and optimistic in the face of harsh degradation. Murphy's portrayal of the fiercely flamboyant Kitten is a sight to behold. Beautiful as a man, Murphy's appearance takes on an even more ethereal glow as a woman. Adding greater weight to the proceedings are the performances from Jordan regulars Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea, as well as Ruth Negga, Laurence Kinlan, and real-life musician Friday. Filled with a staggering amount of great pop songs from that legendary era, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO is an inspiring ode to individual human spirit.
| Starring | Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson, Bryan Ferry |
|---|---|
| Director | Neil Jordan |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 4 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Comedy, Drama |
| Language | DVD: English, English Audio Description |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 13 Nov 2006 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Declan Quinn's cinematography is suitably lush, with bright blood reds and luminescent greens echoing Patrick's garishly provocative sartorial sensibilities
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Damn and blast the bleeding boring old real world with its prejudices and its sadness and its violence and its dreary... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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48 out of 49 people found this review helpful
Wonderful, complex entertainment
Set in the 60's and 70's against the backdrop of the troubles in Ireland, Breakfast on Pluto follows the upbringing and early adult life of the unique illegitimate transvestite Patrick (Kitten) Brady, brilliantly acted by Cillian Murphy in a role which should win him awards aplenty. The chaotic colourful story shows the difficulties he has to face, but never seems to over-sentimentalise them, neither does the film fall into cliché, even when you expect it might. Instead, presumably because the story is told through the complex, compassionate Kitty, the film has real voice and character. It is a little chaotic and difficult to follow at times because of the strong Irish accents, but, despite its sometimes difficult themes, it is intelligent, unique, bright and colourful, and greatly entertaining without being camp. Neil Jordan has dabbled in the topic of transvestitism with a theme of the conflicts in Ireland before in the similarly excellently directed The Crying Game (and we are again treated to another performance by Stephen Rea), but in Breakfast on Pluto it’s the exhilarating ride that counts.
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Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Unfulfilled... what a shame
Before I watched Breakfast on Pluto, my expectation was very high. Neil Jordan directing his familiar Ireland tale, about a transvestite who is portrayed by Cillian Murphy. How can the film fail? Unfortunately, it has with me.
The story is told with 'chapters', one after another, over 30 chapters in total. Each one will show Patrick 'Kitten' Brady's life, from when he was baby to how he grows up, eventually becomes adult.
Before you even start to get into the story, the chapter ends and moves on. When the next chapter begins, the title suggests what you'll see, and that's what you will see.
You can stop watching the film at the end of each chapter, make a cup of tea, then come back and you haven't missed the flow of the film. All you have to do is press 'play' again, and you can watch the next chapter. It's almost as if watching 'test-shoots' before the editor put together the whole film.
It could have become a great film about a portrait of Irish boy, who is always positive & full of compassion, despite personal & social hardships. Instead, all you see is snapshots, full of deadpan liners & cliched events. It's a good film, no doubt, but shame it didn't fulfill the promises. -
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