John Crowley's Brooklyn (2015) is a charming sleeper. It's a sweet, sincere romance with a winning turn by Saoirse Ronan. In the early '50s, Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) emigrates from Enniscorthy, Ireland to New York. Settling in a Brooklyn boarding house, Ellis takes accounting classes and dates an Italian-American boy, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen). Ellis enjoys her new life, but returns to Ireland when her sister dies. Ellis's newly smitten with Enniscorthy's charm, not least when the charming Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) begins courting her.
Based on Colm Tolbin's novel, Brooklyn presents a familiar plot. Ellis is torn between America and Ireland, with lovers on each side of the Atlantic. But Crowley and scenarist Nick Hornby avoid sentimentality: Brooklyn's a hardscrabble neighborhood, riven with poverty and crime; Enniscorthy's a closed, gossipy small town. Ellis relishes her independence in America; her education and forthrightness make her stand out. She's more comfortable at home, yet her opportunities are limited to housewife or shopkeeper.
But Brooklyn's no kitchen sink drama. Crowley's confectionary direction seeks out the beauty in life, home or abroad: Yves Belanger's photography captures the bustle of Brooklyn streets and Enniscorthy's picturesque beaches with equal reverence. Crowley layers in period detail, from ravishing costumes to Michael Brook's subdued score, to ground the setting. Halfway between fantasy and gritty drama, Brooklyn scores on both counts.
Saoirse Ronan's acting earned an Oscar nod. Charming, intelligent and beautiful, Ronan carries the movie with a performance of keen sensitivity. Ellis is no mere plot pawn; while undecided on her fate, she's assertive enough to chart her own path. Challenges by her ex-boss (Brid Brennan) or obnoxious roommates only steal Ellis's resolve. Ronan makes Ellis a likeable heroine, maintaining our respect through a knotty problem plot.
Brooklyn complements Ronan with a dozen memorable character parts. Emory Cohen's appealing awkwardness contrasts with Domhnall Gleeson's old-world charm. Julie Walters plays Ellis's tough-minded landlady; Nora-Jane Noone, one of her friendlier boarders. Jim Broadbent is a kindly priest, Brid Brennan a tart shopkeeper.
Brooklyn doesn't have the depth or flashiness of other Best Picture contenders. But it's endearingly unaffected, respecting its audience to engage with straightforward storytelling.
