Seeking independence, young Irish woman Ellis (Saoirse Ronan) emigrates to 1950s New York, where she secretly marries. Returning to Ireland to care for her mother, Ellis encounters a new romance, and inner conflict: should she return to her Big Apple husband, or remain with her Irish family and newfound love?
Sounds melodramatic? Absolutely. But to criticize a romance for containing melodrama would be like criticizing a musical for featuring songs, or a Tarantino movie for containing violence. Director John Crowley and screenwriter Nick Hornby deftly avoid the pitfalls of mushy romance by focusing on the simple girl-meets-boy(s) plot. Yes, there are those corny old thematic staples of love and family, but Brooklyn dares to ponder what happens if the pursuit of happiness comes at the price of leaving one’s family, home and love.
Alongside Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay nominations, Ronan is in the running for an Oscar. Her superb performance provides a subtle, beating human heart at the core of the melodrama. She’s ably supported by an all round great cast, with an hilarious, if brief, comedy turn courtesy of Julie Waters.
It may lack in budget, but Yves Bélanger’s sumptuous photography, Michael Brook’s grand orchestral score, and excellent costumes, sets and locations evoke an epic personal coming-of-age tale. Engaging, entertaining and emotional, Brooklyn is unashamedly old-school. More Merchant Ivory than Mills and Boon, romantic dramas don’t come much better than this tender, thoughtful throwback to the kind of movies your grandparents cuddled up to in the back row all those years ago.
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