Plot: In 1951 Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) can't find work in rural WWII Ireland, so she takes a ship to Brooklyn. At first she is homesick and quiet, but gradually she meets people including a boyfriend Tony (Emory Cohen.) Soon, she is torn between her life in Brooklyn and her family in Ireland, and after a plot twist the pull between Ireland & Brooklyn lead to the final scene. [imdb] [photos]
Review: Brooklyn may have been made for people of my age and background. My parents were Catholics form immigrant families: she was Polish and he was Italian. They have recently passed away, and it is good time to tell their stories. The immigrant experience involves saying good-bye to everything in the old country, and that was a fundamental experience for all of them.
[BIG SPOILERS, but only in this paragraph. The rest of the review is safe] Brooklyn is a coming to America story with a romantic triangle. Eilis falls in love and then goes to Ireland to comfort her mother, where she falls in love again. She mourns for having left and she mourns for what she loses in leaving too. By going to Ireland the audience sees played out what her life might have been if she stayed. At the end she makes her choice, and you know what she chose because of the title.
[No spoilers from this point] Ronan plays Eilis cooly, and director Crowley often shows tight close-ups of Ronan face which both emphasizes the stillness, and also shows the subtle acting that there is. Ronan is controlled and hides her emotions because Elias is shy and afraid of being embarrassed or being improper. I don't know, but I tend think that 1950's social structure was more strait-laced.
Both the script-writing and Emory Cohen's portrayal makes Tony engaging and likable: everyone needs to see why Eilis can't help but fall in love. This works well, and they have engaging banter.
The script is cleverly builds characters and sets up the final drama without being obvious. In the end, I can see why it had to be that way, and I was impressed how ever scene had a purpose.
Brooklyn is primarily a period drama, and it shows something of mid-20th Century America. I enjoyed seeing old-time scene like watch a Mad Man episode.
Review: Brooklyn may have been made for people of my age and background. My parents were Catholics form immigrant families: she was Polish and he was Italian. They have recently passed away, and it is good time to tell their stories. The immigrant experience involves saying good-bye to everything in the old country, and that was a fundamental experience for all of them.
[No spoilers from this point] Ronan plays Eilis cooly, and director Crowley often shows tight close-ups of Ronan face which both emphasizes the stillness, and also shows the subtle acting that there is. Ronan is controlled and hides her emotions because Elias is shy and afraid of being embarrassed or being improper. I don't know, but I tend think that 1950's social structure was more strait-laced.
Both the script-writing and Emory Cohen's portrayal makes Tony engaging and likable: everyone needs to see why Eilis can't help but fall in love. This works well, and they have engaging banter.
The script is cleverly builds characters and sets up the final drama without being obvious. In the end, I can see why it had to be that way, and I was impressed how ever scene had a purpose.
Brooklyn is primarily a period drama, and it shows something of mid-20th Century America. I enjoyed seeing old-time scene like watch a Mad Man episode.
Directed by:
Based on the book by: Colm Toibin (link)
The Music:
The Visuals:
Rating:
Frankie: So first of all I should say that we don't like Irish people.
[General cries of outrage around the table]
Frankie: We don't! That is a well known fact! A big gang of Irish beat Maurizio up and he had to have stitches. And because he cops round here are Irish, nobody did anything about it.
Mauizio: There are probably two sides to it. I might have said something I shouldn't, I can't remember now.
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