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.
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.