Irish Film Disco Pigs: Early Cillian Murphy Film Shows His Acting Talent

Cillian Murphy made his debut to most American audiences in his role as Jim in 28 Days Later (2002). This was not, however, his first movie. In 2001, he starred in Disco Pigs as the surprisingly complex, yet simply named, Pig.

Disco Pigs is the story of two teenagers, Pig and Runt (Elaine Cassidy), born just minutes apart, who have grown up together and been virtually inseparable during that time. A few weeks before their seventeenth birthday, their relationship begins to change, as Pig is more interested in Runt in a sexual way.

When Runt's family enrolls her in a school in another town, and shuffles her off to that school without telling Pig, he decides that he must go after her. The two are reunited happily in time for their birthday, but things go downhill from there. Without giving away too much of the ending, this movie is something of a tragic drama, so anticipate that all does not end well.

The performances given by the two lead actors are incredible. Murphy has shown the extent of his acting talent with his diverse roles in movies such as 28 Days Later, Batman Begins, and Red Eye, but Disco Pigs may have been his best performance. Murphy has a very expressive face, and this quality is used extensively in his portrayal of Pig.

While Cassidy's performance is not quite as impressive as Murphy's, she does convey the impression of a girl who is confused and trying to figure out where she is going in life. The supporting cast is solid, but none of those actors have much of a role to speak of - this movie is about Pig and Runt, and anyone else involved is only on the fringes.

A few words of warning about this movie. Murphy's Irish accent is incredibly thick, so he is very difficult to understand. Cassidy's accent is not as hard to comprehend, but it still can be tricky in places. Unfortunately, the DVD does not have subtitles to help the viewer out on this aspect. The plot is also somewhat confusing, and may leave you wondering what just happened, and, more importantly, why it happened.

The movie is based on a play by Enda Walsh, which makes me wonder if some aspect of the original story was altered in the transition from stage to film. Regardless, I would recommend this movie based on Murphy's performance alone, particularly if you are a fan of his other movies.