Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the story of a young Irish immigrant who leaves her home behind to move to America. Saoirse Ronan (The Grand Budapest Hotel) plays Eilis Lacey, a bright and driven young woman from Ireland in the 1950s. 

Ronan has proven to be charming and lively in all of her roles but this is the first time she has been afforded the time to truly show off her talent as a lead. She is perfect as the young, shy, but brave lead and she appears on screen beaming with youthful vibrancy. Ronan is wide-eyed, emotionally charged, and full of spirit just as Eilis is. She maintains a delicate balance of being both strong-willed and incredibly vulnerable. She does not have common characteristics found in most lead women who always appear conventionally plucky, outspoken, and bold. Instead, she has unwavering honesty and resolution but she is also susceptible to the difficulties and uncertainties of not just life as an immigrant but life in general. She holds a good deal of responsibility on her shoulders as she portrays an entire generation of immigrants and she consistently holds her own with strength and grace. The film would be ill-fated without her.

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While living in Brooklyn, Eilis meets an Italian plumber (Emory Cohen) who is refreshingly unassuming, charming, but ultimately forgettable. Cohen never attempts to outshine Ronan as the story of Brooklyn is very decidedly her story to tell. Ronan is never once surpassed by any of members of the cast and they all do an excellent job at building her up and helping her shine. Even when opposite Dohmnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) who inevitably excels in every role, she still stands out and hold her own. When Eilis returns home to Ireland for a visit, she meets Jim (Gleeson) and is forced to decide whether or not she should stay in the comfort of Ireland or return to the hard life she has begun in Brooklyn. Gleeson is perfect for his role, which is never a surprise, but he is still a supporting character and he truly does support Ronan by being consistently authentic, unassuming, and modest.



Ronan is surrounded by a vibrant and talented cast but they all do their part to authenticate the story while also lending themselves to Ronan’s remarkable and lasting impression. Ronan takes advantage of the opportunity she has to make a memorable impact. Though she plays the part of a seemingly unremarkable character, she is anything but. This, of course is largely thanks to her talent but also to screenwriter Nick Hornby and director John Crowley who created a setting which allowed Ronan the freedom to be remarkable. What makes this film so enjoyable to watch is watching Ronan have the ability to truly show off her talent which she does miraculously.

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The film is a delightfully modest period drama with none of the decadence or saturated aesthetics the genre allows. Though a few scenes are obviously shot with poor green screen technology, the visuals (or lack thereof) are not meant to distract the audience from the story. None of the weight is put on what we see on screen but is instead put on the story and, of course, its lead. Brooklyn may, at first, appear to have the makings of a TV movie but it is the heart that makes it memorable. Watching Eilis’ transformation as she creates a new life for herself in America is as compelling as it is inspiring.

What makes Brooklyn stand out from the crowd is that it stars a young woman who may seem unremarkable but it portrays her struggles and her triumphs and how she copes with her new life. This story may not be exceptionally exciting, gripping, nail-biting, or even very memorable but Ronan gives one of the most memorable performances this year and she proves that Eilis’ story is not only compelling but also very important. Brooklyn is not just a story about a journey or a romance, it is about one woman.

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While the movie is somewhat slow and the aesthetics are dull, Ronan is superb. Eilis is shown as a real, complicated, and vulnerable woman. We are never meant to judge her or condemn her but, instead, we are meant to identify with her. Eilis is not a perfect woman. She is shy, confused, unsure of herself, fragile, and naïve but this is what makes her a real woman. As time passes, she falls into step and finds confidence in her decision to leave the home where she may have been comfortable and even happy but not content. Ronan represents all women and she proves that sometimes women can be weak, strong, happy, unhappy, confused, and confident all at once.