In all honesty, this is a good movie. I mean, it was well put together, it had an OK story and I'll even say that I did enjoy some of it.
But the fact of the matter is that objectively Brooklyn is nothing special. The story has been told, the characters have existed and the relationships have been played out. It's a fine movie that I enjoyed well enough but I simply don't understand the love for it. With multiple nominations (Damn, I'm discussing it again) Brooklyn really does steal the show from other – more deserving titles.
But hey, film taste is a matter of opinion Let me explain mine. Let me start off by saying that this movie is basically what you expect. Seen the posters? Seen the trailer? You know what this is. It's not a big surprise and it won't blow you away. If you're into it, you're into it If you're not, you're not. So considering this I will clearly state that this movie was not made for people like me. I probably don't quite hit that demographic in the slightest. But as I said, film is subjective, And I saw it anyway.
As a consistent period piece, the film follows a young woman from Ireland as she makes her move to the bigger and busier city of Brooklyn. (Duh) The contrast between settings and lifestyles of 1950s Ireland and America is heavily implied and exposed throughout the film, and this is where Brooklyn succeeds. The simplicity and familiarity yet boringness and lack of opportunity at home compared to the intimidation of a big new city filled with many new faces is quite a staggering difference. From the colour palette on screen to the general aesthetic, Brooklyn visually demonstrations an obvious comparison. We see this through the eyes of our protagonist; Eilis. Paired up with the pressure of new responsibilities and a lack of experience, Eilis is in the middle of a relatable situation. We've all been 'The new guy,' in one way or another and the film presents this in a realistic way; We feel what she feels, as she learns to live this new life style and deals with life's general hurdles. The character development of Eilis is clear and realistic, and we grow with her throughout the film.
Another strong suit of this film is the relationship between Eilis and her new found boyfriend Tony. Tony is easily the most likable character in the film (In a film full of lifeless human-mannequins) He's charming, ambitious and clearly loyal. In the end however, Tony truly represents the city of Brooklyn to Eilis and thus to us. We do root for these characters, however the drama which effects them is completely blown out of proportion and comes off as totally exaggerated.
Tony and Eilis however, are just about the only interesting characters in the film. Everybody else feels as if they're not really people living their own lives but these personality-less beings that weave in and out of the story. Even Domhnall Gleeson's (Who I'm recently a fan of) character is boring. We pretend as an audience to care about the people Eilis cares about, but in the end these people are side characters that we never really get to know; They don't really stand out and don't have much to do. They're dreary and sometimes downright unlikable despite the actors' best efforts. The acting in the film is something to pay attention to if anything, it's at times rather melodramatic and 'soap opera-y' however mostly keeps low-key and realistic. There are not too many cliché 'Oscar worthy' moments here, but rather the film managed to keep restraint and never went over the top in terms of acting.
Themes of 'leaving the nest,' and being a young adult can be a relatable story, and it's here where the film keeps most interesting. I enjoyed seeing Saoirse Ronan play an awkward inexperienced young person in almost comedic fashion as well as her interactions with Emory Cohen's (I didn't have to google that or anything) character Tony. In this way, the film could often at times be surprisingly funny. Moments of comedy are hidden between the cracks of the films mechanical like drama.
However, the film fails to really be about anything - Not much happens in Brooklyn and there's not much beyond that to say about it. This is where the film falls hardest. We witness characters speaking to each other, going from point A to point B scene after scene. Perhaps stories such as this are better left in written form, because as a film, Brooklyn is a bit of an eventless drought.
The film is extremely slow, and in the end mostly uneventful. It comes off as a bit pretentious. This isn't a movie strictly for intellectuals and it's not a movie that will be all that remembered as a classic. It's an alright movie though, that you may or may not enjoy, may or may not see in cinemas and may or may not care about at all. It's in no way terrible, but also doesn't come close to amazing either. It's enjoyable enough to give it a watch if you're interested and even surprisingly funny and relatable.
6.5/10
But the fact of the matter is that objectively Brooklyn is nothing special. The story has been told, the characters have existed and the relationships have been played out. It's a fine movie that I enjoyed well enough but I simply don't understand the love for it. With multiple nominations (Damn, I'm discussing it again) Brooklyn really does steal the show from other – more deserving titles.
But hey, film taste is a matter of opinion Let me explain mine. Let me start off by saying that this movie is basically what you expect. Seen the posters? Seen the trailer? You know what this is. It's not a big surprise and it won't blow you away. If you're into it, you're into it If you're not, you're not. So considering this I will clearly state that this movie was not made for people like me. I probably don't quite hit that demographic in the slightest. But as I said, film is subjective, And I saw it anyway.
As a consistent period piece, the film follows a young woman from Ireland as she makes her move to the bigger and busier city of Brooklyn. (Duh) The contrast between settings and lifestyles of 1950s Ireland and America is heavily implied and exposed throughout the film, and this is where Brooklyn succeeds. The simplicity and familiarity yet boringness and lack of opportunity at home compared to the intimidation of a big new city filled with many new faces is quite a staggering difference. From the colour palette on screen to the general aesthetic, Brooklyn visually demonstrations an obvious comparison. We see this through the eyes of our protagonist; Eilis. Paired up with the pressure of new responsibilities and a lack of experience, Eilis is in the middle of a relatable situation. We've all been 'The new guy,' in one way or another and the film presents this in a realistic way; We feel what she feels, as she learns to live this new life style and deals with life's general hurdles. The character development of Eilis is clear and realistic, and we grow with her throughout the film.
Another strong suit of this film is the relationship between Eilis and her new found boyfriend Tony. Tony is easily the most likable character in the film (In a film full of lifeless human-mannequins) He's charming, ambitious and clearly loyal. In the end however, Tony truly represents the city of Brooklyn to Eilis and thus to us. We do root for these characters, however the drama which effects them is completely blown out of proportion and comes off as totally exaggerated.
Tony and Eilis however, are just about the only interesting characters in the film. Everybody else feels as if they're not really people living their own lives but these personality-less beings that weave in and out of the story. Even Domhnall Gleeson's (Who I'm recently a fan of) character is boring. We pretend as an audience to care about the people Eilis cares about, but in the end these people are side characters that we never really get to know; They don't really stand out and don't have much to do. They're dreary and sometimes downright unlikable despite the actors' best efforts. The acting in the film is something to pay attention to if anything, it's at times rather melodramatic and 'soap opera-y' however mostly keeps low-key and realistic. There are not too many cliché 'Oscar worthy' moments here, but rather the film managed to keep restraint and never went over the top in terms of acting.
Themes of 'leaving the nest,' and being a young adult can be a relatable story, and it's here where the film keeps most interesting. I enjoyed seeing Saoirse Ronan play an awkward inexperienced young person in almost comedic fashion as well as her interactions with Emory Cohen's (I didn't have to google that or anything) character Tony. In this way, the film could often at times be surprisingly funny. Moments of comedy are hidden between the cracks of the films mechanical like drama.
However, the film fails to really be about anything - Not much happens in Brooklyn and there's not much beyond that to say about it. This is where the film falls hardest. We witness characters speaking to each other, going from point A to point B scene after scene. Perhaps stories such as this are better left in written form, because as a film, Brooklyn is a bit of an eventless drought.
The film is extremely slow, and in the end mostly uneventful. It comes off as a bit pretentious. This isn't a movie strictly for intellectuals and it's not a movie that will be all that remembered as a classic. It's an alright movie though, that you may or may not enjoy, may or may not see in cinemas and may or may not care about at all. It's in no way terrible, but also doesn't come close to amazing either. It's enjoyable enough to give it a watch if you're interested and even surprisingly funny and relatable.
6.5/10