With a screenplay from Nick Hornby (About a Boy, An Education), based off the popular novel by Colm Toibin, and full of young British talent, Brooklyn is a film I was destined to enjoy. Add in the fact that it is set in 1950s Brooklyn and Ireland, and it was practically irresistible.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Eilis Lacey, a young Irish girl who decides to leave her older sister and mother in Ireland for a new life (and most importantly a job) in America. Once she arrives in Brooklyn, we see her slowly change from a shy, uncertain girl away from home to a confident, independent young woman. This transformation also brings a young man with it. Tony, played brilliantly by Emory Cohen, is an Italian-American who quickly takes a liking to Eilis. As the two fall more in love, obstacles are thrown in their way when Eilis must briefly return to Ireland and choose between her old life in Ireland and her new life in America.
Brooklyn is a well-executed romantic coming-of-age story. It's a delight to watch Eilis transform before our eyes and go from wearing no makeup and drab dresses to more fashionable bright hues and trendy sunglasses. As the wide-eyed Eilis arrives in Brooklyn (after enduring a long boat ride full of seasickness), you can't help but root for her. At the heart of all of this is Ronan. The young actress has been keeping busy "“ Brooklyn wasn't even the first film I saw her star in at Sundance "“ and it's paying off. Using her natural Irish accent, you can tell Ronan has a close kinship with Eilis. The other standout performance comes from Emory Cohen, who plays the besotted Tony. Cohen has the puppy love face down pat. The chemistry between Ronan and Cohen is apparent and while the film is centered on Eilis, Cohen's affecting performance can't help but steal some of the limelight.
Rounded out by a host of great side characters (Julie Walters as the exasperated Mrs. Kehoe especially), Brooklyn had me swept up for the ride from the very beginning. It's an enthralling film that had the Sundance audience audibly gasping and sobbing in all the right places. While it's not exactly doing anything fresh or different, it's a classic tale of growing up and falling in love, which just happens to be screenwriter/author Nick Hornby's specialty. Picked up by Fox Searchlight during the festival, I have no doubt audiences will love Eilis as much as I did.
