BROOKLYN
Ireland/UK/Canada, 2015, 111 minutes, Colour.i
Saiorse Ronan, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Domnhall Gleeson, Fiona Glascott, Jane Brennan, Eileen O' Higgins, Peter Campion, Jessica Pare, Maeve Mc Grath.
Directed by John Crowley.
Yes, it is the Brooklyn of New York City, but the title of the film might also have been called the name of any town in Ireland. The setting is 1952. The prospects for young women in Ireland at the time were very limited and so quite a number of them migrated from the Irish towns to the United States and found success there, especially in New York City, especially in Brooklyn.
A lot of audiences who like good cinema will enjoy this film very much.
With the first part of the film in Ireland, the focus on a family, an older sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott) an accountant with a local firm as well is something of a golf champion, the mother (Jane Brennan) rather dependent on her daughters and Ellis, the younger daughter whose only job is on Sundays at the local bakery for the women coming out of mass, subject to the dictates of the owner, Miss Kelly, something of a snob as well as a gossip. It seems important that Ellis go to the United States – and Rose, with a priest friend in Brooklyn, Father Flood (a sympathetic Jim Broadbent) is able to arrange a ticket, accommodation and a job in an upmarket New York store.
Ellis has her friends, but is ready to go, something of a wrench from her family, are reserved and shy young woman venturing to a new world – especially the hard and seasick voyage.
Word needs to be said about the leading actress, Saoirse Ronan. She made quite an impact as a child actor, even getting an Oscar nomination for Atonement. She appeared in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones and Peter Weir’s The Way Back. She now is in her 20s and has made the transition to adult actress with great skill and screen presence, communicating often with her expressions and body language rather than through words. She has received nominations for her performance as Ellis.
It is not as if high profile events happen in Ellis’s life. This is a story of ordinary people. Audiences will enjoy the scenes at the meal table at the boarding house, presided over by Mrs Keogh (Julie Waters at her best, controlling, religiously earnest, and chuckling at the boarders’ lives). Then there are the scenes in the shop with Ellis rather awkward at first, commanded by her supervisor (Jessica Pare) always to be smiling to attract customers back. At one moment, overcome by homesickness, Father Flood comes to the shop and he and the supervisor show concern for her – as they do later when news comes of Rose’s sudden death.
Ellis goes down to the parish dance on a Saturday night, a local parish, an Irish enclave, only to find a young man attracted to her, wanting to dance, talk, walk her home. He is Brooklyn plumber, Tony (Emery Cohen) – but an Italian! There is a nice courtship, Ellis gradually overcoming some awkwardness, dressing a little more colourfully, coming out of herself, even practising eating spaghetti as she is invited to Tony’s home and family.
There are some dramatic moments for Ellis, including Tony’s proposal for a marriage at City Hall, as well as Ellis’s return home, Rose’s funeral, meeting her old friends, mothers not resisting the urge to be matchmakers and introducing Ellis to a fine young man, Domnhall Gleeson. Which means that Ellis, in many ways enjoying being back in Ireland, has to make a decision as to whether she will stay or not, return to Tony…
While there are many serious undertones, this is a very likeable film, likeable and interesting characters – and, surprisingly these days, a very sympathetic picture of the Catholic Church and priests in the early 1950s, the Ministry and concern, not like those old parish priests back home in Ireland.
1. Ireland, the United States, the 1950s?
2. The audience immersed in this re-creation of the period? Wexford, the town, the contrast with Brooklyn, costumes, decor, manners, families, church?
3. The Wexford town, the streets, shops, homes, the church? The goal? The countryside? The voyage on the Atlantic, storms and calm? Brooklyn, Ellis Island and entry into the US, the streets, the boarding house, the church, the church hall and dances, the shop and sales, the Irish world, the Italian world by contrast? Musical score and times?
4. Ordinary people, ordinary lives, not a national focus nor an international focus? The appeal? Humane?
5. The 1950s, society, customs, Ireland and manners, morals, the harsh touches, gossip, a more genial church?
6. The 1950s, New York City, the boat, the woman on the boat advising Ellis or, manners, the arrival, the boarding house, the meals and chatter, the shops, the shop girls, the supervisor? The role of religion? The parish, Irish, the contrast with the Italians, Father Flood as a genial priest, Irish background, in the United States, his help? The prestige store, the customers, Ellis having to smile, night school? The Italians and the connection?
7. The visuals of the 1950s, costumes, decor, the political and social background?
8. Ellis’s story? Saoirse Ronan? Her age, growing up, life in Ireland, relationship with her mother, Rose as the older sister, care for her, is and her accounting work, golf? No future for Ellis? Her work on Sunday in the shop, Miss Kelly, making way for the rich, snubbing of the customers, her sharp tongue? Ellis and Rose organising the trip to America with Father Flood? The effect of leaving her mother with Rose to care for their mother? Being shy, the wrench from home, on the boat, eating, the issue of the bunk, the smart girl and her advice, sick, settling down, the landing, going through the passport control? Mrs Keogh, the room, the table, the chatter, her work, being urged to smile, the role of the supervisor, her being homesick, Father Flood coming, the supervisor more sympathetic? His suggestion about study, the night classes, friends at the school, improving her studies, doing well?
9. Ellis as a character, shy, experience, learning and changing? Her style, hair, clothes, moving to brighter colours, being given the privilege of the basement room? Her friendship with the girls, their comments at the table, their friendships, their past experiences? Delores and her being difficult? Mrs
Keogh and her chatter, control, humorous lines, attitude towards religion?
10. The letters home, Rose reading them? the suddenness of Roses death? Grief, Father Flood coming to break the news? And the phone call home, the distance, the decision to go?
11. Ellis going to the dance, with Dolores, the other girls? Tony and his approach, pleasant, talking, dancing, the two clicking? His Italian background, plumber? His walking Ellis home? Her shyness, the meetings, his escorting her, declaration of love, her surprise? Her able to return the compliment? Going to the family dinner, the brother and his mischief and apology? Tony and his love for baseball? The kiss? Ellis’s reflection, her love, the spur of the moment, going to City Hall, the wedding, meeting the Irish at the office and the later repercussions with Miss Kelly and information?
12. Going home, memories of her friendship with Nancy, Nancy and George going out? The meeting Jim Farrell, a good man, comments on the blazer and brilliantine? Going out, the meals, talking, walking along the beach, being comfortable with him, the various matchmakers, the two mothers and their concern? His expectations, and not telling him? Facing the dilemma about her marriage? The delay in answering Tony is letters, the scenes of him and his composing letters at home? Her keeping the letters in the draw? Going to Nancy’s wedding?
13. Miss Kelly, the confrontation, jolting Ellis into realising the truth, telling the truth, telling her mother, Jim? Buying the ticket, the sad goodbye to her mother the night before?
14. On the train, looking at Ireland, remembering, the young girl in on board in Ellis giving her the same advice she received? Arrival, standing opposite the plumber shop, embracing Tony?
15. A film of warmth and humanity?
