Despite her undeniable screen presence, Reilly was frequently cast in supporting roles. While she did have more leading roles in films like Eden Lake, it was in period dramas that her ability to fully embrace a character really stood out. The resilience, wit and strength she brought to these earlier performances prove that Reilly’s path to Yellowstone was paved with roles that showed her strengths in ways that only now receive full recognition.
Reilly as a Grieving Wife and Mother in Triage
Set against the backdrop of the 1988 Kurdish conflict, Triage explores the emotional and psychological toll that war takes on those who witness it. The film follows photojournalists Mark (Colin Farrell) and David (Jamie Sives), who are assigned to document the brutal realities of war. After an incident, Mark returns home to his wife Elena (Paz Vega), alone and traumatized. Desperate to understand Mark’s sudden return and erratic behavior, Elena calls on her grandfather, Joaquin (Christopher Lee), a psychoanalyst with military experience, hoping his expertise will help Mark confront the trauma that has shattered him. Reilly plays Diane, David’s grieving and pregnant wife. Though not the film’s central character, Diane’s role as the emotional heart of the story is critical, representing the strains war places on loved ones waiting at home.
Unlike some of the more overtly dramatic roles in her filmography, Diane is more restrained. Her grief and emotional turmoil are never dramatized through spectacles or explosive breakdowns. Instead, Reilly conveys her character’s pain through quiet gestures and moments of stillness – whether it’s the subtle way she cradles her pregnant belly or the weight in her eyes when she hears nothing about her husband’s fate. Reilly’s performance is a testament to the power of silence in storytelling, showing that emotional depth doesn’t always have to be loud.
Diane’s struggle is that of many loved ones of soldiers — caught between hope and despair, unsure of whether the person they love will ever return home. Reilly portrays Diane as a woman trying to hold on to some semblance of normality while faced with an uncertain future. In doing so, she represents the pain and sacrifice endured by those who are left behind, proving that her ability to create empathy is just as powerful in quieter, more understated roles.
Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan in Sherlock Holmes
Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes was a reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective stories. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as his loyal companion Dr. Watson, the film injected a new level of wit and action into the detective franchise. However, it wasn’t just Holmes and Watson at the center of the drama. Kelly Reilly’s Mary Morstan, Watson’s love interest, added a quiet but important presence to the story.
Mary could have easily been demoted to a supporting role with little depth. Aside from stirring tension between Holmes and Watson, she brings very little to the overall action plot. However, Reilly’s portrayal adds weight to the character, creating a contrast to the intellectual chaos around her. Mary represents the stability that Holmes and Watson’s partnership desperately lacks. While Holmes is undoubtedly brilliant, he’s reckless, and Watson is torn between duty and domestic bliss. Mary offers a touch of normalcy that intrigues Watson and terrifies Holmes.
On the surface, Mary’s warmth and kindness stem from innocence, but it soon becomes clear that she has lived through hardships. Reilly’s portrayal gives Mary fleeting moments of strength, allowing her to stand as a symbol of emotional resilience amidst the chaos of the Sherlock Holmes universe. It’s a role that shows Reilly’s ability to elevate even the quieter parts of a film.
