“Brooklyn” is a lovely coming-of-age movie about a young woman who emigrates from Ireland to the U.S. in the 1950’s, leaving her mother and sister behind. Saoirse Ronan plays Eilis (pronounced Ailish), who arrives in America alone, so she can make a better life for herself. Once there, she stays at a boardinghouse with other women, which is run by by Mrs. Kehoe (Julie Walters).
At an Irish dance in Brooklyn, Eilis falls for an Italian guy named Tony (played by Emory Cohen) and they begin dating. Tony is a plumber, while Eilis works in a high-end department store and goes to night classes in hopes of one day becoming a bookkeeper. While at first Eilis has trouble interacting with the customers, once she begins seeing Tony, she is able to gain confidence in herself. The romance between the two is touchingly portrayed without being overly sappy.
The movie also has quite a few humorous scenes, in particular at the boardinghouse. This is the kind of awkward humor that you laugh at, almost in spite of yourself. The film is beautifully photographed, doing a really good job immersing you in the period.
Well into the movie, Eilis has to go back to Ireland to tend to a personal matter. While there, she meets an eligible bachelor named Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) who takes a romantic interest in her. This is not an easy situation for her, because while she finds him appealing and even seems to have some romantic feelings for him, she knows that she has Tony back in Brooklyn. The script does a good job in keeping us up in the air as to what her decision will ultimately be.
Ronan is fantastic as Eilis, at first starting out as an insecure young woman, but over the course of the film, she is able to mature. The actress is able to excel at portraying a range of emotions. Cohen is nearly her equal performance-wise, giving depth to his character, with a lot of warmth and tenderness. Both young actors really convey what it is like to be in love at that age. The supporting roles are also filled out well. Walters as Mrs. Kehoe is comical with her dinner time remarks, yet also has practical advice that she shares with the women. Gleeson as a potential suitor in Ireland makes us see why a young woman might fall for him – he is considerate, sensitive, and polite. What Gleeson is able to get across in a subtle, though clear way, is a longing for someone who he realizes may be one of his last real shots at love and not wanting to find himself in a state of solitude.
Obviously, love is the most relatable theme in the film, but there are also themes of belonging (being homesick and not knowing where you belong), family expectations, and guilt.
This is an old-fashioned movie in the best sense. I came to care a lot about the characters and what they were going through. They are likeable individuals whose situations were easy to get emotionally involved in. At this point, this is my favorite film of the year.
