Movie Review: Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey in Brooklyn.

An adaptation of the novel by Colm Tóibín, Brooklyn is the tale of an Irish emigrant girl "away" to America in the 50s.

Opening on a bleak evening in County Wexford, director John Crowley quickly establishes the claustrophobia of small-town Ireland that Eilis Lacey is leaving behind for exciting, bustling Brooklyn.

For the first few months of her American life Eilis battles terrible homesickness, a feeling that is both alleviated and worsened by letters from her sister Rose.

The isolation Eilis feels is palpable and it is a relief for the audience when she meets Tony, an Italian American who allows her to begin letting go of the past and embrace her new surroundings.

When tragedy strikes Eilis is pulled back to Ireland - thanks in no small way to a dose of good old-fashioned Catholic guilt - and must decide between two places and the futures that each could provide.

The cast of Brooklyn is virtually flawless but it is a sensational Saoirse Ronan in the lead role who particularly shines, managing to depict a character with both delicate vulnerability and steely resolve.

There is a moment early in the film where the camera rests on Ronan's face for around 30 seconds (an eternity in screen time), during which she remains absolutely captivating - no easy feat for an actor.

Coming a close second is a scene-stealing Julie Walters as the landlady of Eilis' boarding house in New York, perfectly exemplifying unapologetic Irish matter-of-factness, and her deadpan one-liners at the dinner table provide much of the film's humour.

Where Crowley really excels is in drawing the audience into Eilis' internal struggle and his approach imbues the familiar story of immigration with a fresh and original quality.

The result is a profoundly moving period drama that beautifully illustrates the struggle between the part in all of us that is tied to home and the part that wants more from life.

Brooklyn
Directed by John Crowley