Reel Snippet – Brooklyn
Synopsis: In 1952, Eilis Lacey (Saiorse Ronan) gets an opportunity to travel to America to get out of the impoverished rut she’s stuck in out in rural Ireland. She is very hesitant to do so, as she would be leaving her mother and sister behind, and the culture shock of this new country doesn’t help matters. But living in Brooklyn becomes better after she finds love in Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen), a salt of the earth Italian-American boy that shows her a softer side of life. However, when family affairs call Eilis back to Ireland, she finds herself torn between the land she grew up in and the land that adopted her.
Review: Brooklyn was a very emotional piece that truly captured the homesickness of being an immigrant (perhaps even a refugee, if one were to look closer). At first, I was very suspect as this was making a lot of Top Ten lists and it just seemed like a look at the main character, Eilis, and her new life in America without any real conflict. However, when I got a good portion of the way through the film, I realized that I was smiling.
I found that I really enjoyed the tale of this Irish immigrant and her adventures in this new land. Even the romance got me sucked in because of how absolutely adorable those two were together. A lot of my enjoyment comes down to the performances of Saiorse Ranon, who really sells the emotional scenes, and Emory Cohen, who will absolutely convince you that he’s the most lovable guy in the Five Burroughs. A lot of the film’s humor is laugh-out-loud funny in an irreverent sort of way, especially if you’ve grown up around these character archetypes. The cinematography is gorgeous too, with each shot capturing pure beauty. I don’t know who was able to make dust in a house look like falling snow, but they deserve a medal.
If I had one complaint, it would be that I didn’t fully buy the dilemma at the end. Without giving too much away, our main lady is at a crossroads about embracing the new life she has or returning to the one she had. While the struggle portion is done well enough, it seems like she completely forgets about the great things she has in Brooklyn. I get the nostalgia factor, but it’s like her American life just disappears from her mind. But that’s a minor nitpick in a really wonderful movie. The Irishman in me gives it four leaves out of Riverdance.
Fun Tidbit: This is the first time that Irish-American actress Saiorse Ronan has played an Irish character
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