Peacock, 2010

Peacock is a complicated movie to review, as much as it was to watch. As a film that revolves around the secrets of a disturbed man, much of the story is hidden at the outset, to be slowly revealed as we go. I came into this film expecting something very different from what I got, even if the end result was still quite good. Likewise, it is hard to review without revealing too much and risking the viewer’s ability to be surprised as the film slowly exposes the central plot. I felt this was part of what made the movie so satisfying to watch; you are injected into a world that is obviously a result of a great deal of unspoken history, which the director shows to us with skillful and understated interactions between the characters. Knowing what to expect robs the movie of its greatest asset: the ability to make the watcher reassess what they know from what they’ve seen already.

The gist of the film focuses on a man, John Skillpa (played by Cillian Murphy, who sweats, twitches and stammers with the best of them), in small town Peacock, Nebraska. He lives in the house that belonged to his abusive and possibly insane (and now deceased) mother, brings lunch in a brown paper bag to his basement office at the town’s bank, and avoids contact with his neighbors and coworkers. When he gets home, he quietly and with great formality dresses in womens’ clothing and a wig, moving about the house in a sort of domestic contentment until it is time to leave the house for work the next morning. One gets the immediate impression he has lived like this for some time. When a train goes off the tracks near his home and plows through his backyard, he is suddenly thrust into the town’s spotlight, and as his secrets are exposed, he begins to disintegrate under the pressure, ultimately completely breaking down in a…very unexpected fashion.

The plot of the movie thrives on secrets, both John Skillpa’s, and those of the few other people in his life. As they are slowly revealed to the viewer as the film goes on, each new piece of information pulls back another curtain on his mind, showing us the depth of the damage he is concealing. He begins the film portrayed as something of a known quantity to the audience, but as his secrets are revealed, the director manages to transform the character slowly and subtly, as his mind cracks under the pressure of the town’s scrutiny, turning him from a tragic figure to a disturbing one, before a finale that is equal parts sinister and heartbreaking. While Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of John Skillpa is a little over the top at times, most of the acting in the movie is very understated, with a script that seems almost loathe to say more than it has to. This worked for and against the movie, I think – sure, it gave the director excellent control of the pacing of the plot, as he handed us tidbit after tidbit, but at times it left me feeling adrift in the story, unsure what was going on, and forced to simply wait passively for the characters to reveal what I didn’t know yet that would tie it all together.

At day’s end, an excellent if very slow burning thriller. Maybe not a good party movie, but definitely a rewarding watch. I give it a solid three stars. ✚✚✚✚✚