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Written by Jim Campbell Wednesday, 04 January 2006 19:35

It became clear to me that this story—like life—has many layers

 “Serious, serious, serious, there’s that word again.” This line sums up Patrick “Kitten” Braden’s story in Breakfast on Pluto. The story is a complicated romp through Ireland in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Kitten (Cillian Murphy) not only has to deal with his (her?) own gender identity issues, but is also surrounded by tumultuous political events, including Irish Republican Army raids, random bombings, and gun smuggling, just to name a few. On top of all of the life-changing things happening around him, Kitten is on a quest to meet his birth mother.

As the intriguing plot unfolded, I began to wonder: Where else have I seen a movie which happened to combing the Irish Republic Army and a cross dresser? That’s when it hit me: The Crying Game. After some light research, it all made sense. Director Neil Jordan had once before tried to tell the story of a boy who thought he was a girl who also had to deal with such unsavory political circumstances.

The transvestite portion of the story becomes secondary as the plot follows Kitten as he flits in and out of some precarious situations. These range from falling in love with an IRA sympathizer, to becoming a streetwalker, to being accused of bombing a discothèque. The beauty of the story is how Kitten always finds a way to emerge from these controversies completely unscathed. Murphy’s ability to portray his c’est la vie mentality in each situation gave his role unexpected insight. While most people would curl up in a ball and die, Kitten always seemed to learn something and then move on—quickly.

One interesting lesson the story illustrates is to be careful what you wish for—you may just get it. As Kitten is forced to deal with finally having to meet the mother who abandoned him, the outcome takes an interesting, but unexpected twist...

Liam Neeson was terrific as “Father” Bernard by not overstepping his boundaries. It could have been easy for the talented actor to steal a scene here or there, but Neeson gave an impressive, controlled performance.

Toward the end of the story, I felt that Jordan might have tried to cram too many events into one film; I have to admit I was exhausted. Trying to keep up with what was going on in Kitten’s day-to-day life while also struggling to understand the thick Irish accents may prove to be too overwhelming for the average American moviegoer.

Upon exiting the theater, I wasn’t immediately in love with this film. But as I reflect upon the events that took place and how Kitten always managed to rise above his circumstances, it became clear to me that this story—like life—has many layers. I pondered that for a while, and then I incongruously thought about how unfair it is that Cillian Murphy is so beautiful either as a man or a woman—how bloody unfair.