Brooklyn
3.5/5
Opens in Victoria December 11
Brooklyn is a sweet story of the young woman Eilis Lacey—played by Saoirse Ronan—and her experience of immigrating from Ireland to Brooklyn in the 1950s.
Beautifully scored and costumed, the mood was set for a magically orchestrated period piece. The characters were well cast with some of my favorite actors and actresses (Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent), who all did a phenomenal job, and the movie had more than one laugh-out-loud moment.
The talent and effort put into recreating the style and feel of the ’50s, however, was not matched when it came to the story; it felt like a glossed-over version of a real story. There were none of the issues that a young immigrating single Irish woman would have had to deal with in the ’50s.
Not once did Lacey experience prejudice, sexual harassment, or discrimination. In fact, she was able to attend school, hold down a job, and date who she wanted without anyone in the story batting an eye.
Brooklyn is a very sweet movie with just the right amount of comedy and heartbreak. And although it looks beautiful and would be perfect if you’re looking for a simple and pleasant story, this movie left me feeling like it did a disservice to all the women who actually lived through the ’50s, and diminished all that women have fought for since then.