Click to read the article
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Rated: 15
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Theatrical Release: 13-01-2006
Synopsis: 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"... 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 traveling 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. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Laurence Kinlan, Stephen Rea
DVD Info
Release:
Jun 4, 2007
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Subtitles - English - Closed Captioned
- Subtitles - French, Portuguese, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - Neil Jordan - Director; Cillian Murphy - Star
- Behind the Scenes - Featurette
Reviews
Enjoyable drama that's both darkly funny and emotionally engaging.
Like Cillian Murphy in high heels, Breakfast On Pluto totters along with unnerving hesitancy.
Sliding back and forth between comedy and tragedy is the film's strongest suit
Murphy's turn as the irrepressible Kitten is simply mesmerising - outrageous, tender and full of the sort of deep pain that no amount of make-up can conceal.
Roaring with real life, Breakfast on Pluto belongs in that treasured subgenre, the gender bending memoir ...Cillian Murphy gives a career high performance as Kitten, so silky, so tough, so completely real that it haunts us.
It may not have the epic scope and complexity of Forrest Gump, but Breakfast on Pluto a small gem.
Breakfast on Pluto is definitely one of the most unusual, compelling films I have seen in quite some time.
As played by Murphy in what is an excellent performance, Kitten is sort of like a transvestite superhero--able to overcome impossible situations and look fabulous while doing it.
Breakfast on Pluto's novelistic feel can seem disjointed, but ultimately the structure frees the film to flit from one interesting encounter to another with a minimum of connecting material.
Related Forums

by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/17/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/17/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/17/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/17/06

by: jackcoleman0518 8/25/05


Top Critic