****
DVD/Streaming release
Arriving in Brooklyn from Ireland in the 1950s, young woman Eilis Lacey finds herself suffering from crippling homesickness, until she meets Tony, an Italian plumber working in the city. Just as her life in America begins to make sense, tragedy strikes and she is forced to return home, where she meets handsome heir, Jim.
Having fully intended to see Brooklyn in the cinema, it was a real treat to be finally able to sit down and watch it. Feeling somewhat hungover and tired, I really wanted a warm hug of a film that wouldn't stretch me too far before bed, and that's exactly what I got. Brooklyn is an incredibly sweet film, with a series of beautiful performances and a story about love at its heart. Yes, I admit that I'm not very good at sitting through films about romance and all the rest of it, but when done well, as this film was, it's a great thing. Directed by John Crowley and featuring a screenplay by Nick Hornby, adapted from Colm Toibin's acclaimed novel of the same name, this is an emotionally intelligent piece that slowly creeps up on you... and then you find yourself with tears rolling down your cheeks.
It's hard to think of an actor or actress working today who has the same subtle expressivity as Saoirse Ronan. A young talent who stole the film in her first outing, Atonement, she has gone on to become one of the most reliably good actresses in the business. In Brooklyn, she gets to demonstrate her perfectly understated acting 'chops' again, playing young émigré Eilis Lacey, who travels to Brooklyn under the sponsorship of Father Flood (Jim Broadbent). Initially homesick, she soon blooms into a confident, if emotionally torn, woman who falls in love with a handsome Italian, Tony (Emory Cohen). Apparently acting with her irises in some scenes, Ronan displays the perfect combination of maturity and uncertainty throughout the film, culminating in her final heartbreaking decision at the conclusion.
Yes, I would argue that the outcome of the film is perhaps somewhat predictable, but that's not what this film is about - it's not about the conclusion, it's about the journey Eilis makes in order to be able to come to that conclusion. Supported by a plethora of memorable supporting characters, exquisite period details and boasting a sharp and intelligent script, Brooklyn is a thoroughly enjoyable little film that will leave you with tears in your eyes more than once.
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