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The story takes place in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1985.
In a key scene, Bill is essentially trapped into taking tea and cake with Sister Mary.
Its a two-hander that Murphy has previouslytold meis so bloody powerful because of what Emily does in that scene.
Emily Watson in Small Things Like TheseLionsgate
Exec producers are Ben Affleck, Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran and Niamh Fagan.
The conversation below has been edited and condensed for clarity.
DEADLINE: How did you come to be involved inSmall Things Like These?
The book is so brilliant, and obviously anything with Cillian is.
I didnt know Tims work at the time, but Ive become his number one fan since.
It was a great experience.
DEADLINE: Were you already familiar with the book?
How did you approach that?
I unfortunately kind of grew up around people a bit like that.
Its the most unholy, un-Christian thing that she presides over, that is within her grasp.
So you have to be sort of emotionally hermetically sealed.
How did you work on that?
Where can she be from in Ireland?
Is this how I could do it?
Hes holding his breath for as long as he possibly can.
And it was thrilling as an actor, to go into a scene thats that meaty.
But nothing was on the nose, there was nothing kind of overt about it.
There were no kind of big hitting swings to play.
(Its) that sense of the small people dont matter, you dont matter.
When I saw the film in Berlin, I wanted to smash somebody out.
It made me so angry.
I was so enraged by it.
This powerful institution that just controls everything and theres nothing you’ve got the option to do.
Thats what makes what Bill does dangerous.
I mean, after the final frame of the film, whats gonna happen?
And, you know, you cant buy that, right?
Its real, its right there on screen.
WATSON:It was like two, three days work.
But my visit was brief.
I was on hiatus fromDuneand I was thinking, Im gonna go mad.
And then this beautiful pearl of a piece arrived.
