Brooklyn, the new movie starring Saoirse Ronan, is an epic 1950s-set film about homesickness.In it she plays young Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey who leaves Ireland for the promise of New York City.
She stays at a boarding house run by the brilliant Julie Walters, but the yearning for her hometown becomes so great it destroys her happiness.
Eventually, she meets a charming young Italian American, and falls in love, but when a tragedy occurs back home she returns to Ireland to say her goodbyes. However, with the promise of a new life in Ireland beckoning, she finds it more difficult to return to America and her loved ones there.
And that is about it plot wise. Nick Hornby’s screenplay is beautifully crafted, the performances are all top notch, and this $10million production, (with almost as many backing folks involved), slots together nicely. However, by the end of it you do wonder if that’s all there is to it and nothing more.
By chance I saw it with a load of pensioners one Tuesday lunchtime. Many hadn’t really grasped the concept of staying silent in the cinema. However, I could see why it appeals to them. There were many occasions when I laughed out loud, and had a big smile on my face, but in the last 10 minutes I was wondering whether to walk out so I could catch a another screening of Spectre. I’m glad I stayed till the end, because the pay off will fill your heart with joy.
Okay, the plot might be less than the sum of its parts, but Ms Ronan is an electrifying screen presence who lights up every scene she’s in.
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