Review of Peacock (2005) by Mikael K — 08 May 2013

When Cillian Murphy, Ellen page and Susan Sarandon star, the movie is almost certainly guaranteed to be at least watchable. Michael Lander's debut film "Peacock" is even more than that, offering a fascinating psychological drama that uses its start, most of all Murphy, well.

The story is about John, an introverted loner who lives in a small town, works quietly in the bank and has no friends. When a train hits John's house, the townspeople see for the first time that John also has a wife, Emma. Emma soon emerges from her protected life and becomes a valued and liked townmember. There is one catch though. Physivally, Emma is John. She only exists when John doesn't, an alternate personality the lonely man has created to help himself. Emma occupies the house, does the chores and makes sure John has everything he needs. John occupies the outside world. When the accident changes that this equilibrium is shattred; Emma wants a life of her own, perhaps even on the expense of John's.

Lander directs with skill, giving Murphy and his co-stars room to operate on a story that might seem exploitative, even goofy if not handled so well. "Peacock" works as an allegory about gender roles and the empowerment of women as well as an entertaining psychological drama. Some of the thriller aspects of the storytelling seem a bit off, but work in their own way to understand John, definitely more unlikeable of the personalitiesn fighting over one body.

The film doesn't fulfill all the potential its subject matter and creative team has, but it works well as a movie and manages to convey different layers of meaning. It will be interesting to see what Lander- an obviously talented filmmaker- will do next.