Review of Breakfast on Pluto (2005) by Li F — 23 Dec 2007

Beautiful, sweet, tragic, moving and funny film in the magical realism mode, which contrasts well with the dour, grim socio-political climate of early 1970s Northern Ireland and London.. One of Neil Jordan's best, Cillian Murphy is superb in this, and the soundtrack is excellent, featuring period songs from Harry Nilsson, Van Morrison, The Rubettes and suchlike.

It has a wonderful dreamlike quality, which makes all the more brutal and violent scenes concerning the IRA's campaigns all the more affecting. The film shares many locations with Neil Jordan's "Mona Lisa" and glam-goth singer Gavin Friday and the always reliable, always dishevelled Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) gives a great performance as a tragic, somewhat manipulative but ultimately sympathetic Svengali who takes Kitten under his wing as part of his failed comedy-magic routine.

It is touching how Kitten creates his own uncoventional nuclear family based around the priest who fathered him, his black best friend and her baby after being rejected by his adopted family; as is the understated reunion with his birth mother.

Parallel to the personal themes is the rising political troubles of the IRA, which affects Kitten's friends and which s/he blanks out until becoming involved in events and ultimately finds an unlikely friend in the Met officer (Ian Hart) who takes him in for interrogation after Kitten is caught in a London bombing.

The soundtrack of 1970s pop (Harry Nilsson, Rubettes, Middle of the Road, Van Morrison, Bobby Goldsboro, Sweet) is well selected and provides appropriate commentary and/or counterpoint on the action. Bryan Ferry has a brief yet stunning and disturbing cameo as a sleazy cruiser in one key scene, and the comic highlight of the film is when Kitten joins a Wombles theme park shortly thereafter.

Gender, politics, the quest for identity, pop music and cinema as salvation and escapism, all human life is here. Totally recommended, deeply moving, and heart-warming. Very much on a par with the superb Hedwig And The Angry Inch.