February 16, 2016

By Tiffany Skelnik 

Brooklyn, a John Crowley directed film, stars Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohan and is based on the novel of the same name by Colm Tóibín. The film follows an Irish immigrant, Ellis Lacey, on her journey in Brooklyn. Viewers are treated to an inside look at the conflicts that arise when Ellis finds herself in a new land, torn between the promises of a new life and the calls of home.

Saoirse Ronan delivers a powerful performance as Ellis. Ellis goes through many struggles and triumphs and Ronan’s portrayal allows the viewer to see every emotion and conflict. She manages to make Ellis’ journey one that the viewer is pleased to take. She makes Ellis someone that we want to find happiness and success in her endeavors. With such an incredible performance, it comes as little surprise that she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Ellis.  

Emory Cohan, who plays Ellis’ love interest Tony, delivers an equally wonderful performance. Tony’s love for Ellis is shown through Cohan’s performance. His performance provides great comic as well as serious moments. His scenes with Ellis are extremely touching and their chemistry is clear throughout the film.

Julie Walters plays Mrs. Keogh, the woman who runs the boarding house where Ellis stays, and is a standout. Her performance is both touching and hilarious. Walters gives Mrs. Keogh a maternal and comedic quality that balances well with the serious matters that Ellis goes through outside the boarding house walls. These moments help deviate from the struggles and showcase the triumphs in a unique and fun way.

Brooklyn paints a wonderful picture of starting life somewhere new and demonstrates the range of emotions that can come along with any massive change. The script, by screenwriter Nick Hornby, was a huge reason for the film succeeding in this way. Hornby’s careful consideration of the source material and the execution of the story on the screen is one of the many reasons that the script was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The amazing script and the terrific performances are all reasons why this film is one of the Best Picture nominees.

Brooklyn is a brilliant film. In its moments of silence and delicate storytelling, it resembles a fairytale. I highly recommend it.

skeltiff@my.dom.edu