Brooklyn

An effective (and affecting) period drama, Brooklyn follows Irish immigrant Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) as she arrives in 1950s New York City to start her new life – with the character’s rocky start giving way to genuine happiness as she makes friends and begins dating a kind-hearted plumber (Emory Cohen’s Tony). It’s a simple premise that’s employed to slow-moving yet engaging effect by filmmaker John Crowley, with the movie’s unapologetically traditional atmosphere heightened by a raft of exceedingly positive elements (eg the flawless production design, Yves Bélanger’s lush cinematography, etc). There’s little doubt, however, that Brooklyn‘s success is due almost entirely to Ronan’s mesmerizing turn as the sympathetic protagonist, as the actress steps into the shoes of her affable character to a rather hypnotic degree – which effectively ensures that the film’s mid-movie shift to character study works far better than one might’ve anticipated. (It doesn’t hurt, either, that the romance between Eilis and Tony is compelling and genuinely sweet.) Brooklyn does, however, lose some momentum as it enters its Ireland-set third act, with Eilis’ inexplicable (and, frankly, out-of-character) behavior towards Tony souring the majority of this stretch and ensuring that the love triangle that eventually emerges feels needless and shoehorned-in. The film recovers nicely for an appropriately feel-good finale that proves difficult to resist, with the end result a solid effort that firmly establishes Ronan as one of the most talented actresses of her generation.

*** out of ****