Brooklyn - DVD

Enjoyed this Brooklyn period piece extremely well. A wonderful love story for all time.

Is it too late to amend my Top 10 Movies of 2015? This little film finally showed up “at a theater near me” and so I took it in. The film features the excellent Saoirse Ronan (“Hanna” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) who got her first Oscar nom for 2007’s “Atonement.” She plays Eillis Lacey, an Irish lass of about 20. With the urging of her older sister Rose (Fiona Glascott, “House of Shadows”), she’s heading off for America, where she will settle in with other Irish emigres in Brooklyn. Director John Crowley (“Closed Circuit”) had me from the beginning. As the departing Eillis is waving goodbye to Rose and their mother, Mary (Jane Brennan), the camera closes in on the faces of the families on shore. Panning the camera to the left, we see others whose faces project the sadness of family members heading off to a new life across the Atlantic. Eillis isn’t sure about it all, but Rose has insisted she will find a better life there. Once she arrives, Eillis settles in at a boarding house run by Mrs. Keogh, (Julie Walters), thanks to Father Flood (Jim Broadbent). The landlady is a hoot as are the other tenants. Much different than I expected. She’s morally sensible but has no problem with the young women seeking a man. It seems a little off-putting in today’s world, but the ideal life in the early 1950’s was a man, a woman and children. Each of the ladies have small scenes at the nightly dinner table and rather than turn them into run-of-the-mill meanies or misfits, Crowley and screenwriter Nick Hornby give each a personality. It is really quite refreshing. As Eillis begins to adapt and moves on past her loneliness and regret, she meets Tony (Emory Cohen, “The Place Beyond the Pines”), a young Italian plumber, at a church dance. In a beautiful turn by Cohen, Tony is the perfect marrying type. He’s handsome, he’s polite, he has a job, and he’s ambitious. Everything seems to be working out. Even Eillis’s clerk job at a high end department store is going well. She’s taking night classes in bookkeeping and hopes to become an accountant, like her sister. Plans are interrupted however as events in her home country require a trip back. Once there, Eillis meets some old friends and eventually Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson), another well-meaning bachelor from a wealthy family. They become friends quickly. Eillis is even given a part time job in her chosen field. What to do? Stay in Ireland or go back to Tony and New York. Frankly, the choice is difficult and Ms. Ronan handles the scenes brilliantly. I’m guessing she won’t win the Oscar this year, but if she does, I won’t be shocked…or disappointed. She’s in almost every scene and she’s terrific, as is the movie. Highly recommended.

I think it is the simplicity of the story and the straightforward and superb acting that make this a "winner." This DVD/BluRay/movie tells the story of a young woman who emigrates to the US from Ireland in order to "have a better life." Her family has decided that for her and has connected her with a Priest here who will help her "make her way." He finds lodging for her at a boarding house for young ladies like herself--supervised by a "good woman" and he has paved the way for a job for her. And the story unfolds from there. So it is a story about leaving home and moving far away with little to no preparation for such a major life change. She finds a "fella," a "good man," and she has some big challenges to navigate and some big decisions to make. All the actors are superb, especially Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen, her Italian "fella." Ms. Ronan has a very special quality about her which I cannot describe. I saw that same quality in her role in the movie Atonement, where she was a much younger person. Mr. Cohen kept reminding me of a cross between a young Johnny Depp and a young Frank Sinatra--such charm--"adorable," really. Jim Broadbent plays the Catholic Priest who is her mentor--and all I can say is that if I were Catholic, I would love it if he were my Priest. Very caring, very "human," and a very good mentor. Julie Waters plays the owner of the boarding house where Eilis lives and Domnall Gleeson plays another "love interest." They both add their own special "charm" to this lovely film. I went to see this movie twice while it was playing in the movie houses, and then I bought it because I like to watch my favorite movies many times.

On Oscar night I was rooting for either Mad Max: Fury Road or Brooklyn to win the Best Picture category (a few weeks later, I saw Bridge of Spies, another worthy contender; sadly, Todd Haynes brilliant Carol wasn't nominated). Brooklyn is a simple, universal tale, beautifully told. It's fairly straightforward and maybe a bit old-fashioned -- a story appealing not solely to immigrants, but to anyone who has ever lived in a new place where they felt themselves a bit of an outsider while trying to adapt to new surroundings. It's also a great story about growing up and finding your place in the world, making career decisions and considering marriage possibilities. The romance portion of the film might be a bit formulaic, but it's also completely charming thanks to the actors involved. Saoirse Ronan does an excellent job winning over the audience in a star-making role which should make her a household name. I wasn't a big fan of hers from Atonement, an excessively-praised, ironically-titled film that I actively disliked. Roles in Neil Jordan's vampire tale Byzantium and Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel helped to win me over and her endearing portrayal in this film has made me a fan. The Blu-ray extras include the trailer, deleted scenes, director commentary and about 21 minutes of EPK style interviews with cast and crew. The beautiful film and a solid video/audio transfer are reason enough to pick this up. I highly recommend Brooklyn, a film that you'd probably have to be a grumpy cynic not to love.

Watched this movie last night and loved it. Great love story that has a great story line. It made me tear up too. This is a great movie for just the girls, date night or by yourself.