Brooklyn’s trailer left me completely cold. It came across as a humdrum story of the sort that might appear on BBC1 on a Sunday tea time. However, glowing reviews persuaded me to see it, and I have to agree that it’s a cut above what I was expecting.
It stars Saoirse Ronan as Eilis, a young Irish girl in the 1950’s who gets the chance to have a new life in New York. Overcoming her homesickness she falls in love with a young American man (Tony, Emory Cohen). However, when she returns to her home town, she meets Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) who rapidly falls in love with her.
So, the plot is not exactly ground breaking, as you have a fairly basic love triangle, but there are elements that raise this film well above the mediocre. First and foremost is the stunning performance by Ronan. Vulnerable but also resilient, Ronan makes Eilis totally believable and keeps her sympathetic even when she considers being unfaithful to Jim. Backing up that performance are two very good ones from Jim Broadbent as a New York based priest and Julie Walters as Eilis’ landlady (Mrs. Kehoe).
Consequently, it is the scenes in New York that are the best, and the film does flag a little when it is set back in Ireland. The highlight of the film is the poignant sequence involving the serving of Christmas dinner to homeless Irish ex pats which is very moving. Additionally all of the scenes of Mrs Kehoe and her girls having dinner are a delight.
Surprisingly engaging for such a slight story, and much better than you might expect.
Rating: 7 out of 10