It's rare for a film to be both sweet and earnest without being saccharine and pandering these days, but Brooklyn manages to do it--and beautifully so. Directed by John Crowley, adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby, and based on the novel by Colm Toibin, Brooklyn is the story of Eilis (pronounced "ay-lish") Lacey, a young Irish girl who travels to Brooklyn in 1952 to make a better life for herself than she could have in her country of birth. Sponsored by a kindly priest (Jim Broadbent), Eilis (played by the lovely Saoirse Ronan) has a room in a boardinghouse and a job as a shopgirl in a fancy department store. She is also enrolled in an evening bookkeeping class and has dreams of becoming an accountant.
But Eilis misses her mother and sister back home and feels awkward and out of place in America. That is, until she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), an Italian boy from a warm, blue collar family. Eilis and Tony fall hard and fast for each other, but then a tragedy calls Eilis back to Ireland, where her friends and family strongly encourage her to stay. She even has a handsome, wealthy suitor--Jim Farrell (Domnhall Gleeson). What's a girl to do?
But the love triangle at the heart of Brooklyn is only part of the story. Eilis' choice isn't so much between Jim and Tony, but between a comfortable, familiar life laid out before her in Ireland and an exciting, unsure life of independence in Brooklyn. It truly is a coming of age story where a young woman who is just beginning to get a sense of her own power and purpose in life has to make a life-altering decision.
There are a few things in particular that I love about Brooklyn:
1) It's woman-centered
Brooklyn is about a woman's journey in both love and life. In addition to Eilis' suitors, we see her interactions with her mother, sister, best friend, fellow boarders at the boarding house, and her boss at the department store (a delightful cameo by Jessica Pare--aka Megan Draper from Mad Men). Eilis may have to choose between two men, but women are just as, if not more important to her story. They offer her advice, friendship, and love--but also guilt and shame. She has complicated relationships with all of them, especially her mother. Brooklyn not only passes the Bechdel test, it transcends it.
Another thing I have to add: In Brooklyn, whatever choice Eilis' makes will ultimately hurt and disappoint someone. She is given the freedom to cause sadness in others in order to seek her own life, and is not punished for it. Let me repeat: a woman is not punished for choosing her choices, even if those choices may disappoint others. This is a big fucking deal, since most female characters exist for the sole purpose of soothing life's boo-boos and miseries in others.
2) The love story and life story are given equal weight
So many films are about a woman's path towards a man and the wedding altar. Although the love stor(ies) are not watered down one bit (see below), Eilis' "life story"--i.e. her job, education, family life, friendships, and general sense of adventure in a new country--are given equal weight in their role in her decision between the old (Ireland) and the new (Brooklyn). Eilis longs for love, as most people do, but she has a life beyond men which is explored in depth in Brooklyn.
3) The men are her equals--in different ways
Eilis' choice between Tony and Jim is not easy. Both men have a lot to offer her, as well drawbacks. Tony is warm, passionate, and--most importantly--is there for Eilis at a time when she feels lonely and homesick. He is "home" personified. But then there's Jim. Played by the incredibly handsome Domnhall Gleeson, Jim is exceptionally good-looking, educated (whereas Tony is barely literate), from a rich family (Tony's family is solidly blue collar), and in many ways is Eilis' equal. He also--most importantly--lives in Ireland, alongside Eilis' friends and family. Jim is "home" personified.
So with two men who represent "home", Eilis does not have an easy choice. She must choose which home she herself wants.
With its remarkable cast, beautiful cinematography and costumes, and open-hearted view of the life, Brooklyn is worth immersing yourself in. It's a love story without the cliche, a coming of age story without the melodrama, and a period piece that feels lived in. I can't say enough great things about this movie.
Grade: A
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