This is on the weird side of things. It's about a troubled man with a tortured upbringing who dresses as a woman every morning. He successfully hides this from the community until the day a railway accident comes barreling through his back-yard while his woman-side is hanging up the clothes. All the neighbors in the small town think it is his newly hidden wife. So new relationships ensue within the town. And the situation becomes rather tangled with his "wife" impersonations leading to conflicts of interests.It's a slow progression that fortunately never becomes over-wrought. The acting by Cilian Murphy in both roles is first rate. The ending is somewhat inconclusive and unbelievable - and that brought my rating down.

If you've seen Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, heard about it, talked to somebody who saw it or basically just been alive for any length of time since the movie was first released, you don't need to see Peacock. That's because as well acted as this film is, and as adorable as Ellen Page always is, this is a story about what Norman Bates would be like if he didn't kill people. So, it's like Psycho but without any danger, mystery or purpose. I glanced at the "making of" feature on the DVD and co-writer/director Michael Lander seemed proud that he made a movie that doesn't do anything you expect. That's true, but only because Peacock doesn't do much of anything at all. It hints at this and it alludes to that and it references the other, without ever delving deep into any of its chosen subject matter. This is a well crafted nothing.John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy) is crazy. Most of the time he's himself, an awkward, brittle, almost autistic man who works at a bank and can barely communicate with other human beings. In the mornings, however, he's Emma and she cooks John's breakfast, washes his clothes and peeps through the curtains at the children across the street. And no, John's not a transvestite living in the 1950s small town of Peacock, Nebraska, though I couldn't help thinking that would have made a much more interesting story. John's a full on split personality like Psycho or Sybill or Raising Cain. And it's clear before the opening credits are over that it's because John was abused by his mother.It's unclear how long John has been existing this way but when a railroad accident deposits a train car in his back yard and the whole town of Peacock suddenly learns of John's "wife", that existence starts to change. Emma begins to take over more and more of John's time and becomes a functional person, even as John becomes more frazzled and anguished. Eventually, Emma and John face off over small town whore Maggie (Ellen Page) and her son by John. Co-writer/director Lander apparently thought he could fake out the audience by first making John appear to be the unstable one and Emma the normal personality and then pull the ol' switcheroo, but he only fakes out himself.Peacock is wonderfully performed. Cillian Murphy isn't exactly doing anything you haven't seen before, but his John and Emma are quite well conceived and executed roles. Susan Sarandon as the proto-feminist wife of the town's mayor and Page as the girl from the wrong side of the tracks are really good. Graham Beckel as an avuncular political operative who wants to stage a rally at the train in John's backyard and Bill Pullman as a shifty bank manager are great living scenery. The problem is that at the end of the film, you've seen some nice acting and that's about it.You can sympathize or empathize with the insane but it's awfully hard to identify with a nut job, especially when you're expected to just assume all the reasons why the person is crazy. There are no flashbacks to explain John. There are no digressions to explain Emma. The viewer is simply presented with this loon and is supposed to care about him. Since it's difficult to identify with a whacko, you can try to connect to him through his relationships with normal people. However, Peacock is overstuffed with supporting characters who never interact with John or Emma in more than superficial ways. There's a local cop, the bank manager, a neighbor, the Mayor and even Sarandon and Page's characters never get below the surface of either personality. Maybe if it had only been the triangle of Emma, John and Maggie or if the central conflict was the liberated-for-the-1950s mayor's wife drawing the Emma personality out of John's orbit or if the story's focus had been on the local cop as the closest thing John has to a friend trying to figure out where his never before seen wife came from, maybe that would have given some direction and edge to this motion picture. There's none of that, though. All Peacock has is the twist of trying to make you think John is the bad guy and Emma the heroine, only to flip it around. But he's crazy and she's a delusion. The real twist would have been playing it straight and arguing that madness is sometimes the healthiest and sanest reaction to this world.If you're a fan of actors or don't know what the words "Alfred", "Hitchcock" or "Psycho" mean, you might like Peacock. For the rest of us, it's a waste of time.

This is a super Indy film. Be prepared for a well acted low-budget psychological thriller. The subject matter will be found a bit quirky. The sleepy little town of Peacock, Nebraska finally has some excitement when a train jumps its track and crashes into the backyard of a mild mannered bank accountant John Skilpa(Cillian Murphy). John is shy and very introverted following the death of his mother, who subjected him to abuse until her passing. The community doesn't realize this tormented soul suffers a severe identity disorder. The freakish train accident will make John's problem very vulnerable and prompts him to descend deeper into his psychosis. I was hoping that Ellen Page would have had a stronger role; but she makes the best of what she is given. Bill Pullman becomes easy to dislike as John's supervisor at the bank. Everyone should agree that Murphy is outstanding in this role. Also in the cast: Susan Surandon, John Lucas and Keith Carradine. There will be some disturbing material and a scene of violence. I would love to say more; but I want you to be surprised and enjoy PEACOCK for yourself.

Strange but interesting story. Cillian Murphy is quite unforgettable as the schizophrenic abused cross dressing main character. Always thought his face was a bit feminine. He acts his pants off literally. It's quite convincing that he can pass off for both man and woman. There is a bit of a Norman Bates element but with some dark comedy. This unusual story works out quite well. The supporting cast looks suitably taken in. Ellen Page is quite good. Susan surprisingly doesn't look out of place in a small town. Keith Carradine, Bill Pullman and Josh Lucas all fit in quite well in this podunk setting too. Quite an impressive cast for such an off beat story. Worth a watch.