Brooklyn Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

A lovely motion picture, Brooklyn may not be perfect, but it features a fantastic performance by Saoirse Ronan & one of the best costume designs in a period drama.

Genre: Drama / Romance

Director: John Crowley

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Fiona Glascott, Julie Walters, Jessica Paré, Nora-Jane Noon & Jane Brennan.

Run Time: 111 min.

US Release: 25 November 2015

UK Release:  06 November 2015

German Release: 21 January 2016

Brooklyn was not really on my “watch list”, but after having read all the positive reviews and heard about the multiple Oscar nominations, I was really curious as to how this historical period drama, set in the 1950’s, would turn out to be. It is based on the 2009 novel of the same name and written by Irish author Colm Tóibín, winner of the 2009 Costa Novel Award. To tell the truth, I was quite surprised at how much I liked this movie, while at the same time shocked that it earned that many stellar reviews, because it was not a perfect film.

The story revolves around a young Irish girl named Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), whose older sister Rose (Fiona Glascott) arranges for her to leave the small town of Enniscorthy and move to Brooklyn, New York, where she is supposed to finally build a life for herself. At first awfully homesick, Eilis soon falls in love with the local boy Tony (Emory Cohen), but when she receives disastrous news from Ireland, she needs to choose between her home and her heart.

Brooklyn is an incredibly sweet and innocent motion picture that focuses on the purity of Eilis and her growth as a character. It is also a love tale about two persons that come from different worlds, which becomes a menace for their growing attachment. This movie also manages to capture the 50s aesthetics like no other period drama set in that time. What really astonished me, however, is how small and calm this indie is, while at the same time having a good pace plus time management.

On the other hand, the first half of the film suffers from some mild blandness due to the lack of emotion (other than a little drama) emitted by the main character and the fact that she is unable to stand up for her own beliefs and dreams. She lets others decide about her life. Once Emory Cohen’s persona is introduced in the second half of the story, though, this period piece manages to turn interesting.

Brooklyn also had some problems with character development, and this is a reason why I did not feel as attached to the main personas as I should have. It is not until the last twenty minutes or so that Eilis finally shows how much she has changed since moving to New York, and it was at that moment I finally felt an emotional bond to her.

Saoirse Ronan manages to portray Eilis’ young and timid self very well, but I wished for a little more insight about what was going on in her head when others made decisions about her future. I like Ronan as a protagonist, and I did feel sorry when life struck down with bad luck, but she also manages to annoy me quite a bit by looking mopey most of the time - even when she is happy. I also thought that while Ronan did a good job of displaying her character's homesickness, the movie skipped through that episode a little too fast. 

Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson are both great and made for very impressive side characters, especially Cohen, who gives a brilliant performance as the friendly and sensitive Italian-American Tony.

Even the cinematography has a few flaws at times. The movie is occasionally very bright, which makes the film look artificial, especially during the early, outdoor scenes on the open-air deck of the ship. Other than that, though, it is a beautiful-looking romantic drama with extraordinary costume design, fantastic scenery, and shot with a special lens that made for pale-looking colours, giving Brooklyn a very realistic mid-20th-century feeling.

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Verdict: Brooklyn did manage to surprise me positively, and while I don’t believe it is as good as most of the critiques make it out to be, I do believe that it is a must-see in cinemas! The film features great performances by Ronan, Cohen and Gleeson, as well as solid cinematography, colour palette and realistic costume design. It does have some issues that might strike a nerve with some of the viewers. That said, its benefits definitely outweigh its faults. I highly recommend this picture and give it an 8.0 out of 10.

What is your opinion of this historic period drama? Did you see it? Leave a comment below and let me know. My next review will be for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, which is being released this Thursday in cinemas all around Germany. So expect it either this Thursday or Friday, depending on my schedule.