Brooklyn
This film pulls deeply at the heart
Now usually period dramas are not my go-to genre, not even remotely, but this looked like a film with a tenderness to it. Perhaps coming back from New York itself recently myself helped but upon viewing this film I can say I liked it; it’s rich, and acted really damn well.
Irish shop worker Eilis Lacey is funded for a move to New York from Ireland by the church. She says goodbye to her sister and their ill mother and finds herself getting accustomed to Brooklyn life, weather and boys as she falls in love with Italian charmer Tony. After a tragedy strikes back in Ireland, Eilis comes back and faces the tough choice of a new romance at home or shipping back to America.
The look of this historical drama set in the 50’s is of top quality. The costuming is marvellous with each character fitting into the time and truly selling the period of this piece. As we wash over to the shores of the US, Brooklyn’s setting feels magical in a way, giving us the reason as to why at first Eilis is overwhelmed but then agreeable to this change of pace and lifestyle.
Nick Hornby’s screenplay is layered with emotion. Of course, there’s romance here and normally that’s what makes me stray away from these movies but it’s well done here, Tony is a likable and smooth character and so too is Jim from Ireland; that the ol’ love triangle routine doesn’t feel clichéd.
This film pulls deeply at the heart; even I had to suffer a choking throat and wet eyes as Eilis hears of the tragic news thousands of miles away. The only problem the film had was becoming duller as it got nearer the end, a blackmailing revelation is squashed before getting dramatic and the romantic choice is obvious from the halfway point, meaning the closing minutes of the movie were less impactful, sort of tainting the beautiful moments that had been seen up until that point.
7.5/10
