Brooklyn (2015)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[Jake Gittes]

Pretty much the most sanitized and uninteresting version of its story imaginable, never challenging its heroine or making her decide something about her life until it's too little, too late (and even then, Domhnall Gleeson's character's total woodenness and lack of charisma in comparison with Emory Cohen made the choice seem ludicrously easy), and instead just patting her on the back the whole way through. 

[Gopher]

Woah, first time disagreeing with Jake!

 

This is SO good. An elegant and yearning melodrama with a strangely satisfying mix of class and grace. Saoirse kills it.

[Jake Gittes]

Probably gonna be a second time later today after I see Sicario.

 

Eh, I think it's too classy for its own good. It doesn't feel like a real, lived immigrant experience as much as someone's misguidedly nostalgic/romanticized conception of it, which comes through both in the visuals and in the broadness of supporting characters. It's definitely possible to make a version of this story that's low-key and low on conflict and still compelling, but the way Eilis never encounters a problem she can't solve in the next 5 minutes (and always with the help of someone else) annoyed me to no end. 

[Gopher]

I might've just been happy with how deep they pushed into melodrama conventions (nick of time stuff, coincidences, moral alignment, etc). It's longing/romanticized for sure, depicting two kinds of life in the sweetest, most optimistic way, but that's absolutely what they were going for and I fell right into it. 

[TStechnij]

12 minutes ago, Gopher said:

I might've just been happy with how deep they pushed into melodrama conventions (nick of time stuff, coincidences, moral alignment, etc). It's longing/romanticized for sure, depicting two kinds of life in the sweetest, most optimistic way, but that's absolutely what they were going for and I fell right into it. 

You didn't fall into it because it isn't a trap!

 

I've been describing this film as averageness perfected. It does everything about it level higher than it needed to, but it's charm and wit add so many layers to it. 

 

I have to say Emory Cohen may be my supporting actor pick of the year. I'd argue he is the glue of the whole thing more than Ronan. He is so cute and charming that he made me wish I were gayer than a gay man because I wanted to love him in more ways than possible.

Edited November 26, 2015 by TStechnij

[AniNate]

It's a good film, an engaging depiction of the emotional and financial dilemmas an immigrant faces. But the ending is WAAYY too tidy for my liking, and it really does seem to paint Ireland in black and white.

[filmlover]

So elegant and heartfelt. Brooklyn is a terrific addition to the coming-of-age genre that makes us feel for how for some, it can be difficult finding where "home" really is. Eilis as a charmingly introverted protagonist that we care about thanks to the wonderful work from Saoirse Ronan. The actress (who, it must be said, is blossoming into a really lovely woman) gives a wonderfully understated performance that allows the character's transition to her new surroundings to happen naturally, and also manages to convey a lot just through her eyes, even at times when she has no dialogue. Also a standout, surprisingly, is Emory Cohen (who made an unfortunate first impression as Debra Messing's dumb son on Smash), who is delightful. It's been a while since I left a theater feeling this uplifted. A-

[Ezen Baklattan]

I can definitely see where Jake is coming from, but in a way, that's part of the reason why the film worked so well for me. The fairly clear-cut story, driven out of the mixed emotions Ellis faces on her journey, really allows the rest of the movie's brilliance to shine through. It's beautifully shot and structured, and watching Ellis make her decisions, many of which aren't free from concern and doubt, as well as her own change of emotions through her journeys, feels like simple beauty. The nostalgic, optimistic world of the film creates a surface where everything connects, and they squeeze realism out of a seemingly naive situation. Highly recommended.

[AniNate]

It makes New York look real nice, but the message about Ireland seems to be that it's filled with evil, manipulative gossipers and you should not be fooled by their small town charm

[Ezen Baklattan]

26 minutes ago, tribefan695 said:

 

It makes New York look real nice, but the message about Ireland seems to be that it's filled with evil, manipulative gossipers and you should not be fooled by their small town charm

I think it's intentionally like that to show just how accustomed Ellis was to her life in America, that while she does find opportunity in Ireland, he views of it, thought never fancy to begin with, were definitely more downplayed after her experiences in America.

[Webslinger]

Like Saoirse Ronan's performance, I found Brooklyn as a whole to be quite lovely. The melodrama is almost perfectly pitched, as Nick Hornby once again displays an incredible ability to tap into his protagonist's psychology and put her through an emotionally involving (and ultimately satisfying) journey. Ronan has displayed tremendous potential ever since her Oscar-nominated breakthrough in Atonement, and her work here is not only a career best, but also proof that she has the potential to be one of this generation's great actresses in her newly-begun adulthood. Her performance is expertly nuanced, and she does an excellent job of tracing every step of Eilis's arc. Although the film's ending is ultimately predictable as could be, Ronan's verve and deep emotional commitment to Eilis's development and conflict make the film work beautifully at nearly every turn.

 

A-

[The Panda]

I'll first say that, Saoirse Ronan gave one of the best performances I have seen this year.  She was very articulate, and every step of the arc was detailed and complete.  Her performance was subtle, and the changes she made throughout the film worked wonderfully.  The film is very pretty to look at, I think it may be more of a compliment to the production design than necessarily the cinematography (although, there are some very pretty shots).  The film is incredibly conventional though, even if it plays its conventions really well.  It is emotion filled, and it still makes you feel, even though you know exactly what will happen.  The conflict in the third act was a little tedious and frustrating, simply because you know she's going to go back to America, and so the 'is she going to go or stay' really drags.  There are also bits in the third act where the script just doesn't really fit in with what came right before it.  However, I understood the purpose, as when the film reaches the conclusion it has the effect that was intended, an effect of resolution and ultimately a 'feel good' moment.

 

It's not the best immigration film to come out recently, The Immigrant takes that title, but it is certainly a good, although conventional, one.  I definitely enjoyed it, it was elegant, and it was definitely moving at parts, but it never did anything to really take it to a higher level (except Ronan's performance).  It overall feels like a performance piece for Ronan.

B+

[ChD]

These guys knew what they were doing. People started watching the movie, how can we keep them captivated once it started?

 

I KNOW. LET'S HAVE SAOIRSE RONAN SHIT EXPLOSIVELY IN A BUCKET.

 

 

[Goffe]

If the first half (Jake's reviews is exactly how I feel about it) was just as good as the second half this would be a great movie. Acting is very good, but Ronan didn't impress me too much, her monologue at end was great though, I even shed some tears. Score is terribly unimaginative.  70/100

[baumer]

I almost started disliking this (or at least liking it much less than I do now) when she almost blew her marriage for some bloke that clearly wasn't right for her.  But she made the right decision and all was right with the world.  I haven't seen a better performance by an actress this year (although Daisey Ridley is at least on par) and the film just makes you feel good inside.  I adored both Ronan and Emory Cohen, who I can only assume is the actor who played her love interest, because it doesn't really look like him on imdb....it also says he was in Place Beyond the Pines, in which he was also outstanding.  But Ronan is front and center here and she gives and honest and emotional turn as a young girl afraid to leave her homeland in search of a better life.  As the film goes on, she matures and grows from a fragile and scared young girl to a confident and brave young woman.  This is absolutely one of my faves of the year.

 

9.5/10 

[Avatree]

Glad you liked it Baumer. Though not sure I can quite put Daisy Ridley alongside Saoirse Ronan...

[lilmac]

Ms. Ronan's best performance.

 

A

[baumer]

On 1/9/2016 at 5:22 PM, In the Heart of the Tree said:

Glad you liked it Baumer. Though not sure I can quite put Daisy Ridley alongside Saoirse Ronan...

 

 I thought she was outstanding in TFA.  And now that I have seen Carol, I'll add both Mara and Blanchett to that list as well.

[DAJK]

Brooklyn doesn't exactly cover new ground, and everything in it we've seen done countless times before. But rarely I must admit do we see these elements handled with so much care and style. Love triangle? Seen it. But how often do you experience a love triangle where you cared this much about the characters, as well as how the movie was going to end?

 

Take ice cream as another example. Ice cream is a great treat, but like anything else, too much of the same will just water-down the experience of ice cream (I don't mean actual water... you get the point  ) and eventually, a bowl of ice cream is nothing more than "just another bowl of ice cream". But then every once in a while someone prepares you a bowl of ice cream so delicately topped with whipped scream and sprinkles and chocolate syrup and a cherry that you remember, if done right, how good ice cream can truly be.

 

I loved this movie. I loved the performances, I cared about the characters, it was paced very well, it was funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and a movie I totally recommend.

 

A