Very disappointing...

Too much of everything

Good concept, poorly executed.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

"Peacock" is a turmoil of a film. It is from 2010 and is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. It is directed by Michael Lander. And it is written by Michael Lander and Ryan O Roy. It is a drama and an independent film that is deep in thought and content. The cast includes Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Susan Sarandan, Josh Lucas, Bill Pullman, Graham Beckel, Keith Carradine, Eden Boodnar,, Chris Carlson, Flynn Milligan, Virginia Newcomb, Jaimi Paige, Nathan Christopher, Richard Latch, Tate Hustedt, Tory Schaefer, Craig Michael, Scott Schulte, Peter Gregory Thoomson, Michael Rosner, Paul Cram, Erin Stover, Bethany Larson, Emily Dooley, John Paul Gamoke and Bridget de vos Vaudt. Peacock is the name of the very small town and the story is of a troubled young man who was abused at some time in his youth. The majority of the story revolves around his current disorganized state of mind. I gave it 5 stars. Dale Haufrect

I dvr'd this when I saw that Ellen Page was in it, not even realizing Cillian Murphy was actually the star, or rather the STARS, since he plays two characters, his male side and his female side. He portrays both absolutely flawlessly.From the very beginning when the character is introduced as Emma, I knew from the synopsis that 'she' was physically 'John', but I bought it completely, thanks to Murphy's subtle, masterful and thoroughly engrossing performance. When he changes back into John, to ride his bicycle to the Peacock city bank where he works, I bought that completely as well.The story evolves slowly, deliberately, with details (about John's tormented upbringing at the hands of a clearly deranged mother)cleverly brought to light without ever saying too much; this is an example of how less can most definitely be more: the viewer finds himself/herself involved emotionally and gradually feeling true heartbreak for this soul, and it's all done with not even a shred of heavy-handedness or contrivance.A lot of people have carped about how the townspeople never catch on that John and Emma are the same person, but I didn't have a problem with this, as I said earlier, because to me, they were NOT the same person.Again, as I already mentioned, Murphy's characterizations of both are stunningly, seemingly effortlessly portrayed. I was reminded a bit of Jeremy Irons' dual/dueling characters in Dead Ringers, where of course the difference was that the Mantle twins, Beverly and Elliot, were indeed two separate people, lost in a sick, destructive symbiotic relationship. Thanks to great subtlety by Irons, you could tell when he was Beverly and when he was Elliot, both when they were on the screen at the same time and separately.In Peacock, John and Emma are not actually seen separately in physical form, but there are scenes where the two of them are fighting internally for identity control. This is brilliantly portrayed by Murphy, who, as a Gemini, fully comprehends the male/female duality in each of us.A lot of people have also carped about the seemingly 'confusing' ending, which 'ruined' the movie for them. I felt the opposite. The ending was perfect. Emma is there, at the window, once again, but so is John. This is displayed purely by Murphy's body language. The ending gave me the chills.

Why You Might Like It: This movie primarily surrounds an individual who is suffering from split personality/gender disorder and revolves around his struggles to keep it under control and hidden after a train derails and ends up in his back yard making him and his home an overnight media destination. Cillian Murphy does a great job and the supporting cast is filled with familiar faces (Susan Sarandon, Ellen Page) who all play their parts well. The movie has a semi-Hitchcock feel to it from a directing standpoint and manages to peak your interest just enough to keep you watching.Why You Might Not Like It: The movie is somewhat slow and dialogue driven for the most part. There are some obvious loopholes or reasons to find the movie unbelievable if you wanted to focus on that, but they aren't something that would sway me away from watching the movie. There are better movies that fit this mold out there, but this one really tends to focus on the struggle of the individual suffering from the condition above all else. Acting/Casting: 6.5* Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 5.5*Plot/Characters: 5.5* Entertainment Value: 5* Total - 6.5+5.5+5.5+5 = 5.625*

As noted, Cillian Murphy was brilliant. I would imagine almost all the negative comments are by those, mainly men, who felt uncomfortable with this movie. You have to set aside your personal feelings and recognize a great performance starring at you from the screen.The pace allowed for space, similar to a drummer not playing a lot of notes...it's the breadth between the notes (think of a slow Pink Floyd groove). This movie was deep and should have a following, especially in psychology classes.You can't help but wonder what would cause a man to dress like a woman daily, and then enter his daily existence still entrapped by the wounds of his past.Many more noted than I can give an attempt to explain this condition, but in the end, life can be a very sad place.