Brooklyn (2015)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Overrated

Instant Favorite.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Brooklyn is the story of Eilis, a young Irish woman crossing to 1950s America to start the life she couldn't find in Ireland. At first overwhelmed, she soon finds her feet and the love of her life until tragedy and an unexpected match leaves her torn between her lives in Brooklyn and Ireland.The focus of the movie is place strongly on Eilis and her personal struggles; her sense of loneliness and vulnerability being homed in on by the director in an effort to elicit an emotional response, the beautiful musical score went a long way ensuring this hit the mark most times (though the emotion of the opening scenes and some in the third act felt very contrived). The introverted personality that we follow for the opening of the movie made for an uninteresting protagonist, aimlessly plodding along until she finds love in the form of an Italian plumber (yes, really...no, his name isn't Mario).However, the slow start is soon made up for. Set in an idyllic alternate Brooklyn adhering to the stereotypical 'American Dream' holding a quietly romantic tone throughout (as dictated by lead Saoirse Ronan) as the couple fall in love in the most unabashedly cheesy but endearing way. It didn't feel like anything new but it did feel very well done, in large part to the charming performances of Ronan and Cohen throughout.Following this, the movie began to outstay its welcome, the effect lack of a fleshed out secondary cast were felt and my attention would waver a bit as the third act commenced, suffering from the same forced emotion of the opening scenes of the movie. While the dichotomy of Eilis' identity was well-established, the film was taken over by an oppressively overly-sentimental tone which made me feel detached from the movie rather than investing me deeper. Brooklyn is a slow-burning love story and a unique immigrant story centred on the identity crisis of Eilis, though it suffers from some drawbacks; most notably a lackluster secondary cast and contrived attempts at sentimentality in places. Despite this, it's still something I'd recommend for its lovable protagonists (Ronan and Cohen) and their winning performances.

In all honesty I did like this movie. Saoirse Ronan's acting was beautiful as always but the movie ended too quickly for me. Suddenly there was 10 minutes left and not enough has happened for me. But I give this film 7/10 because this film is sweet, not a masterpiece but enjoyable to watch.

Brooklyn is one of those movies you think might possibly be passed over in this era of CGI action fodder. Only to find it has become a record breaker of its genre. Perhaps screenplay writer, Nick Hornby and director, John Crowley may never top the level of perfection they have achieved with this mature production. Neither of these men lived through the 50's - yet have avoided falling into the trap of adding too many 'modern' touches - creating a near perfect representation of the life and times of that era. Art direction and cinematography add further important creative technical touches. Young Saoirse Ronan does wonders with her important role as Eilis, an Irish girl facing the challenging step of leaving home and country - to start a new life in a strange land. With a flawless cast this often sad tale is brought to the screen with all the nuances of real-life sparklingly intact. Good to see the always reliable Jim Broadbent being used to good advantage. Congratulations are certainly due to all involved with transferring Colm Toibin's descriptive novel to the cinema (and maybe even adding helpful touches along the way). A rich addition to the overall impact comes from Canadian composer Michael Brook's truly beautiful score.Strong recommendation for lovers of quality motion pictures examining the morals, difficulties, and times, of those who went before us.

(Flash Review)While the acting, costumes and production quality are all solid, the screenplay lacked intrigue. At its core this is a love story. A love story almost more between home than men. An Irish woman immigrates to Brooklyn, NY in the 1950's for a chance to get more out of life. While there, she falls in love with a down to Earth, normal, Italian guy. Upon a visit back to Ireland and with more life experience under her belt, she meets an upper class chap and another romance begins…even though she has a love back in Brooklyn. During the story many subtle events occur, which is fine, but none draw the viewer in and elicit much emotion. Perhaps, you can see the story arcs coming. What is less obvious, is that she is also wrestling with staying in her motherland vs going back to America. What will she decide? What events will influence her decision? The fact this nominated for three Oscars, which is cool…the one that scares me was one was for best adapted screenplay. For me, that was its weakness.