Brooklyn (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Based on an award-winning novel, 'Brooklyn' (directed by John Crowley) follows young Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan, of Atonement, Hanna, The Lovely Bones), a 20-ish yr. old Irish girl who moves from rural Ireland to Brooklyn, NY in 1952. There are no worthwhile jobs or social prospects for Eilis {pronounced Aylish} in her quaint village, so her older sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott), arranges for a sympathetic Brooklyn priest named Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) to sponsor Eilis' immigration. Reluctant to leave her widowed mother & beloved sister, she sets out on the long, harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. Upon arrival, the bewildered/naive Eilis is set-up to live in a small boarding house run by sharp-tongued Ms. Kehoe (the wonderful Julie Walters) with several other single women and works as a shopgirl at an upscale Manhattan department store; where her shy demeanor fails to attract customers.
Sad, lonely, & terribly homesick, Eilis' luck changes when attends a church dance and meets Tony (Emory Cohen, of The Place Beyond the Pines), a handsome Italian-American plumber who takes a liking to Irish girls. He tenderly pursues Eilis, who starts taking night courses in accounting after working during the day. When Tony invites Eilis to meet his family, the boarding house girls insist on giving her lessons on how to properly eat spaghetti -- and the results are sweetly hilarious. Their blossoming relationship slowly brings Eilis out of her shell. No longer is she the meek Irish girl, but a more optimistic & confident young American woman. She even makes a romantic commitment to Tony. However, when a tragedy unexpectedly sends her back to Ireland, she is fervently pursued by extremely likeable - and eligible - Jim Farrell (Domnhall Gleeson, Brendan's son). Eilis also feels obligated to take care of her adoring family. And so, feeling divided btwn. the pull of her ancestral 'home' & the promise of her new life in Brooklyn, Eilis is faced with quite the dilemma. Light drama ensues.
'Brooklyn' gave me the warm fuzzies that I often look for in films, yet rarely get. Saoirse Ronan is just radiant in this sweetly poignant immigrant story about leaving everything you know behind to find your own way in a new world. Director John Crowley & acclaimed screenwriter Nick Hornby focus this adaptation on Eilis' development from shy/lonely local girl into the love struck, surprisingly resourceful young woman she comes to be. Ronan's performance is sensitive, appealing, and just an overall knock-out; I'd surely put her on my ballot for a Best Actress nomination this year. Jim Broadbent is kind & warm-hearted as Eilis' sole connection to home, Father Flood. Julie Walters is hysterical as Eilis' well-meaning, but prickly boarding house landlady. I also admired the germane, organic-feeling performances by the Irish actresses who play Eilis' mother & sister.
Best of the supporting cast is Emory Cohen, whose chemistry with Ronan creates real sparks -- they are just adorable together. Their romance is sweet, slow-burning, & just chock full of delightful moments. i.e., frolicking in the ocean, or how Tony faithfully waits for Eilis after every night class to walk her home. So yes, 'Brooklyn' is a sweet, wonderful little film. But it's also a very assured film in many respects. I already mentioned the stellar ensemble. John Crowley's direction & Nick Hornby's writing is polished. Yves Belanger's cinematography is gorgeous (beautiful use of color, lensing). And both the production & costume designers create a 1950s milieu of Ireland & Brooklyn that feels very authentic. I just love this movie. Everyone in my packed theater did, as well. Everyone (mostly of the 50-80yr. old set) was buzzing about this film for quite a while in the lobby -- that type of post-viewing reaction is rarified air, to me. See 'Brooklyn' for Saoirse Ronan, the loveliness of the proceedings, & the poignant/bittersweet notion that home is not necessarily where you live, but where your heart truly belongs.
Sad, lonely, & terribly homesick, Eilis' luck changes when attends a church dance and meets Tony (Emory Cohen, of The Place Beyond the Pines), a handsome Italian-American plumber who takes a liking to Irish girls. He tenderly pursues Eilis, who starts taking night courses in accounting after working during the day. When Tony invites Eilis to meet his family, the boarding house girls insist on giving her lessons on how to properly eat spaghetti -- and the results are sweetly hilarious. Their blossoming relationship slowly brings Eilis out of her shell. No longer is she the meek Irish girl, but a more optimistic & confident young American woman. She even makes a romantic commitment to Tony. However, when a tragedy unexpectedly sends her back to Ireland, she is fervently pursued by extremely likeable - and eligible - Jim Farrell (Domnhall Gleeson, Brendan's son). Eilis also feels obligated to take care of her adoring family. And so, feeling divided btwn. the pull of her ancestral 'home' & the promise of her new life in Brooklyn, Eilis is faced with quite the dilemma. Light drama ensues.
'Brooklyn' gave me the warm fuzzies that I often look for in films, yet rarely get. Saoirse Ronan is just radiant in this sweetly poignant immigrant story about leaving everything you know behind to find your own way in a new world. Director John Crowley & acclaimed screenwriter Nick Hornby focus this adaptation on Eilis' development from shy/lonely local girl into the love struck, surprisingly resourceful young woman she comes to be. Ronan's performance is sensitive, appealing, and just an overall knock-out; I'd surely put her on my ballot for a Best Actress nomination this year. Jim Broadbent is kind & warm-hearted as Eilis' sole connection to home, Father Flood. Julie Walters is hysterical as Eilis' well-meaning, but prickly boarding house landlady. I also admired the germane, organic-feeling performances by the Irish actresses who play Eilis' mother & sister.
Best of the supporting cast is Emory Cohen, whose chemistry with Ronan creates real sparks -- they are just adorable together. Their romance is sweet, slow-burning, & just chock full of delightful moments. i.e., frolicking in the ocean, or how Tony faithfully waits for Eilis after every night class to walk her home. So yes, 'Brooklyn' is a sweet, wonderful little film. But it's also a very assured film in many respects. I already mentioned the stellar ensemble. John Crowley's direction & Nick Hornby's writing is polished. Yves Belanger's cinematography is gorgeous (beautiful use of color, lensing). And both the production & costume designers create a 1950s milieu of Ireland & Brooklyn that feels very authentic. I just love this movie. Everyone in my packed theater did, as well. Everyone (mostly of the 50-80yr. old set) was buzzing about this film for quite a while in the lobby -- that type of post-viewing reaction is rarified air, to me. See 'Brooklyn' for Saoirse Ronan, the loveliness of the proceedings, & the poignant/bittersweet notion that home is not necessarily where you live, but where your heart truly belongs.