What Director Tim Mielants brings is a meditative, yet, compelling and bleak portray of corruption behind the Catholic Church and the infamous Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, splashed with a good sense of atmospheric setting and an enrich performance from Cillian Murphy.
The approach on the writing, tone, and themes are sensitive but approached appropriately, without feeling overdramatic nor out of place. Creating the sense of realism of the time period and challenges of it's topic. The camerawork, production designs and direction helps establish it's setting. As said, Murphy's performance is good but Emily Watson is just as good as always.
It's simple narrative, yet powerful theme and subject carries out it's bleakness and the true nature of human nature out is well-explored. Including good soundtrack, dialogue, and an interesting character from Murphy.
Some criticisms have been said that Murphy's character wasn't interesting and the movie should have focused on the Magdalene Laundries and the girls. I understand where the perspectives are coming from but, the idea from an ordinary outsider, seeing the dark sides of the reality and seeing the truth is also an interesting perspective. We are providing what ordinary people are able to see and how it shapes them.
Overall, a great movie.
