I Retitle this Film as 'Emma'

While TV surfing, I chanced upon a movie called Peacock. It was close to its ending but I continued watching anyway. I was drawn to the lead actress. She looked familiar but I can't quite place her. It turned out it was Cillian Murphy in drag! I scrambled to watch it online and here's my review of the film.

John Skillpa (Murphy) grew up with a controlling and abusive mother, who died one year ago, in Peacock, Nebraska. He is a bank clerk and suffers from multiple-personality disorder. Every morning, his secret alter-ego, Emma, cooks, cleans, and does household chores for him. One day a freight train caboose derailed into his backyard, while he is out as Emma. When the neighbors came to help (and of course nosy around) they thought she is John's wife. Forced to live in public as John and Emma, a personality power struggle ensues. Added to the mix of townspeople are Fanny (Susan Sarandon), Maggie (Ellen Page), Tom (Josh Lucas), and Edmund (Bill Pullman). The film ends revealing who triumphed (?) over the two.

This indie thriller boasts of an excellent list of talented actors. They did not disappoint. True, some scenes are just plain unbelievable (Emma's bobbing adam's apple and still no one suspects she is a he)  and the whole movie is some sort of homage to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Psycho. The theme, the subtle creepiness, the motel vacancy sign, even the title (which should have been 'Emma') reminds the audience of Hitchcock. But I think Murphy's acting comes close to Anthony Perkins'. Okay, maybe not that close but he definitely showed his thespic range here. I also believe that a good psycho-thriller makes the viewers analyze characters, plots, and endings. Peacock did just that. Although some may argue that the ending is not as exciting as they'd want it to be, I think it's just perfect for this particular film. Not all movies should be action-packed and extravagant, some could just be a quiet, understated, and thought provoking experience. I give Peacock a rating of 4/5.


-Faye