I haven’t seen a movie in a long time that has stayed with me long after the screen went dark, at least until last night, when I saw the movie Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is a story about a young Irish immigrant in the 1950s and the choices she has to make about growing up, love and her home. I went in expecting a nice evening, but I was totally blown away by the acting and story of this film.
All Photos Courtesy of Fox Searchlight
From the minute it opens you feel like you’re pulled right in to the life of Eilis Lacey and you want to be her friend. Saoirse Ronan, who plays Eilis, is getting much deserved critical acclaim as she plays this character with a beautiful subtlety that makes the entire story feel like one you may have been told by a relative of your own. She strikes a beautiful balane for Eilis between vulnberable and resilient as she takes on a new life in America.
Saoirse Ronan isn’t the only stand out in Brooklyn. Every member of this ensemble, from Eilis’s family and friends in Ireland, to each of the boarding house girls in America and the big table full of Italian brothers acts their socks off to create funny, charming and tender moments throughout the film.
All Photos Courtesy Fox Searchlight.
I’d be remiss though, if I didn’t single out Emory Cohen, who plays Tony Fiorello, an earnest, big-hearted Italian boy who falls hard for Eilis. Emory Cohen is so outstanding that I forgot he was actually a 25 year old man in 2015 and fell head over heels in love with the young plumber from Brooklyn in 1950 something without him even having to say a word. He doesn’t have to speak for you to feel the love he has for Eilis, his family, or his beloved Dodgers. His well-timed half smile says it all.
Beyond the acting, Brooklyn is beautifully shot and directed so well you’re hanging on every moment of the story and enjoying the amazing views the whole way through.
I can’t recommend the movie Brooklyn enough. See it with your girlfriends, your parents, your daughters or your spouse. The theater last night was full of people from every generation and everyone left talking about how great they thought it was for one reason or another. It’s an immigrant story. It’s a love story. It’s a story about growing up and finding your way. Brooklyn is warm, and hopeful and tugs at every string you have in your heart all while making you laugh and keeping you entertained.
Brooklyn opens in select theaters today and will reach a broader audience November 20th. Don’t miss it.
This post is made possible by support from Fox Searchlight Pictures. All opinions are my own. I really loved it this much, swear.
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