Brooklyn (2015) Review!!!

Synopsis – An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

My Take – Its been a while I checked out a romantic film, & probably I would not have seen this one too provided it had not received all the Oscar buzz, despite the fact the film stars one of the most likable leading actresses of the younger generation. And boy was I glad I decided to watch this one. Trust me, this film is a remedy for anyone who is losing faith in good film making. It is a splendid reminder that you can tell a great story without resorting to excessive twists and effects. It’s a simple tale, made complex by conflicting emotions and a welter of detail. It’s funny and sad and bursting with life. Crafted with care, told with elegance & resonating a deep sense of warmth throughout its run time, this film is the story of an immigrant that beautifully illustrates the struggles faced when trying to adjust in a new environment with people you don’t know & places you aren’t familiar with, and not only does it work as a wonderful coming-of-age drama but also succeeds as a pleasant love story. The film also talks about being homesick. We have all felt it (I know I have), and continue to experience it when we venture off for a while. Not many of us have sailed across the ocean to a new country (obviously), torn apart from family and friends to begin a new life. Sometimes, a new romance can cure homesickness. They allow one to feel secure, like they made the right decision and loved, just like home. This film also walks us through that daring experience. Based on the novel of the same name, the film takes place during the early 1950s and follows Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish Catholic girl who has left Ireland to seek a better life in America.

Leaving her elderly mother (Jane Brennan) and adored sister Rose (Fiona Glascott) in the small Irish town of Enniscorthy in Ireland, Ellis arrives in New York bewildered but hopeful after a journey marred by sea sickness. It is only after she begins a job as a salesperson in a ritzy department store in Brooklyn where her leering supervisor Miss Fortini (Jessica Paré) trains her to deal with their upscale customers that homesickness begins to set in and she longs for her mother and sister. The job, a room in a boarding house with other Irish immigrants, and night classes in accounting at Brooklyn College are all provided by Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), a reminder of the contribution that caring priests with integrity can provide, one that most immigrants do not have. At an Irish dance, she meets Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen), a young somewhat stereotypical Italian man who goes to these dances because he is attracted to Irish girls. Their relationship grows when Tony invites Ellis to his home to meet his family, a scene stolen by Tony’s brash and funny eight-year-old brother Frankie (James DiGiacomo) who lets everyone know right away that “the Italians hate the Irish.” Their relationship is put on temporary hold, however, when unforeseen circumstances force Ellis to return to Ireland. Happy to see her mother again and to be back in familiar surroundings, she is also reminded of the small-town mindset as personified by the gossipy mean-spirited Miss Kelly (Brid Brennan), Eilis’s one-time employer. Her stay extended to attend a friend’s wedding, Ellis is offered work at an accounting office and is courted by an old friend Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson), a circumstance that confronts her with choices that will affect the rest of her life. The details of Eilis’ story are fictional and may not match those of a majority of immigrants to the U.S., but her basic struggles and her heart match most of those immigrants. And they represent us. Writer Nick Hornby and director John Crowley also show a considerable amount of restrain in terms of evoking comedic circumstances in the film. Consider the scene when Eilis sits down to meet Tony’s full-blooded Italian family over a spaghetti dinner, a scene ripe for stale comedic possibilities about the passive-aggressiveness Italians had towards Irish people and vice-versa. Instead, writer Nick Hornby conducts the scene in a manner that’s thoroughly pleasant and even wryly comedic at times, thanks to great timing and strong respect for logic and narrative seriousness. This is a relate-able and utterly charming film which should not be missed. It’s a simple tale that’s wonderfully told with the help of great costumes, beautiful cinematography and story-telling that’s old-fashioned, but doesn’t feel outdated within the early 1950s setting. Eilis’ particular set of circumstances are well-researched and not uncommon for this particular time and place. While the film has its fair share of emotionally manipulative sequences, mainly because the film’s score is frequently overbearing and excessive, its nuances and insights into young love and how one person can almost entirely make one’s fears and uncertainties about an area and their situation simply evaporate are considerably powerful. The scenes between Eilis and Tony are undeniably romantic and not overblown or incredulously depicted, as they are in your run-of-the-mill Nicholas Sparks novel.

The two exude a very natural chemistry that is buoyed by their innocence and their clearly authentic smiles and affection for one another; to put it simply, if you’re single and seeing this film alone, as I did, you’ll be wishing you are walking out with someone special by your side at the end of it. Often movies have a magical quality as you’re viewing them. Some will demand your undivided attention, others will hypnotize your senses, leaving them to simply wash over you with their exuberance and classic film making procedures. In the case of director John Crowley‘s film, the latter is certainly the case. There comes a moment in the film when you are taken in by the film’s classic style film making, and tenderly thought-provoking performances from its cast. Director Crowley, in partnership with Oscar-nominated scribe Nick Hornby, create a beautiful and sensitive love story that is everything a Nicholas Sparks film adaptation wishes it could be. The main contributor to the film is the lead actress, Saoirse Ronan, who plays her role meticulously while also constantly owning the tone of the film. Her delicate and sincere portrayal makes all Eilis’s issues, however selfish or insignificant they may seem at first, materialize in your mind, and makes you hope that her pain will somehow ease. Already a one-time Oscar nominee, Ronan reaffirms her acting strength with this exceptional performance. Of all emerging young adult lead actresses, she is likely the most charismatic one in 5 years since Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone. Emory Cohen shows his sensitive and charming side of his range, resulting in an equally measured and tantalizing performance to his co-star. Domhnall Gleeson‘s career has blown up, and rightfully so. He shows his brilliant talent, even in a small role. You can see the ache and pain in his movements, desperate for love and an overwhelming feeling of being lost. In a few scenes, Julie Walters as Mrs. Kehoe sustains as a surprisingly comic relief in a very serious drama. Her passive demeanor is such a treat to watch in her scenes of interaction with the girls of the boarding house in which Ellis is staying. Jim Broadbent is likable in a small role. On the whole, ‘Brooklyn’ is is a damn fine movie! Filled with universal themes, the film doubles well as heartfelt love story & a compelling coming of age drama. It’s a joyful and heart aching film that stands as one of last year’s best, and a sure-fire contender for several Academy Awards.