Movie Review: Disco Pigs

I remember the very first time I had ever seen a film starring Cillian Murphy. 28 Days Later - It was friday night/saturday morning and stormy outside. As I sat in a leather recliner chair, only dreading the many times my eyelids were naturally forced to blink, I couldn't help but notice the silver screen magic Cillian Murphy had (especially in combination with director Danny Boyle).

After I saw28 Days Later, I quickly began to delve into the realm of all films even remotely related to Cillian Murphy. I found films like Intermission, On the Edge, and even Girl with a Pearl Earring. In return, it also brought to my attention: Disco Pigs.

Disco Pigs is a film about a teenage girl and a teenage boy who were both born at the same time. The boy, played by Murphy, is "Pig" and the girl, played by Elaine Cassidy, is "Runt". From birth they have a mysterious, almost creepy, connection. Watching this film you will quickly learn that Pig and Runt are inseparable. They live next door to eachother, they get in trouble at school together, and they even have their own little language. One day Pig realizes that he wants more than friendship from Runt and thus begins the dramatical turn of the film - The film starts out dark, and ends even darker. As Pig's passion for Runt flows deeper and deeper, Runt slowly fades further away from Pig.

This film takes place in Ireland, and the Irish accents are so thick that, at times, it almost sounds like Murphy is Jamaican. Quite strange, indeed, but arguably one of the more light-hearted layers of the film.

Overall the story is very compelling, and it is only heightened by the performances of Murphy and Cassidy. There is a very moving monologue from Murphy, where he verbally expresses his feelings for Cassidy's character. The only real downfall for this film is the cinematography. I've suggested this film to many people and it seems that almost all of them found the camera work annoying in a various amount of ways. Honestly, it's something that cannot be described but will be understood once it is watched.

The slogan on the cover of this DVD is "90 minutes you will never forget!", and there is nothing but truth that can be found in it. This is one of the only films I've seen that has not only an incredibly fun, quirky quality but at the same time a very deep darkness that many perceive to be disturbing. To this day, Disco Pigs is one of my favorite films and is a must-have if you are a fan of Cillian Murphy or Elaine Cassidy.