Movie: Brooklyn

Brooklyn: an Irish immigration story.  When the film opens, we are introduced to a young Irish woman, Eilis Lacey, who lives in a small town in Ireland.  We quickly learn that her older sister has arranged, through the Church, for Eilis to immigrate to America.  Thus we meet a remarkable character played by Saoirse Ronan.  The film’s storyline is direct; there are no flashbacks.  Rather, the film progresses with Eilis leaving her mother and sister and Ireland, and traveling via boat to America.  We later learn, when Lacey goes to a movie, Singing in the Rain, that the year is 1952.  As the story moves forward, Ronan’s performance lures us into wondering more and more about Eilis fate.  Brooklyn is based on a novel by Colm Toibin and, as such, the characters are complex and very real.  The films offers a realistic presentation of the difficulties associated with relocating from one country to another, even when there is a common language.  Dealing with homesickness and the challenges of building a new life in a foreign environment is presented in this film as Eilis maturing as a person.  She meets an Italian plumber, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen), and watching that relationship develop is handled nicely by the film’s director, John Crowley.  The story becomes more complex when Eilis returns to Ireland for a visit.  To learn what happens next, you will need to see the film.  What allows this 112 minute movie to work is the superb quality of the acting.   Eilis’ supervisor at work, a minor character played by Jessica Pare, advances both the film and the primary character, and you are pleased when Pare’s character reappears.  The dinner scenes at the boardinghouse where Eilis resides add just the right touch of comedy.  This film has no special effects, just excellent acting and a story about an individual who touches your heart.