15 March 2016.
BROOKLYN ****
A fine romantic film is a rarity, and here is such a pearl. Underlying the romance is the more meaty tale of a young girl emigrating alone to America from her home in Ireland in the early 1950s, with all the turmoil that such a move entails: the fears of a new country, her crippling homesickness and the pull of the homeland.
Both Brooklyn and Ireland are wonderfully evoked by the Irish theater and film director John Crowley with a nostalgia that touches the heart. This could have been just a melodrama, but because of the strong script and superb cast of characters, it becomes an enchantment. There is the breakout performance of the sweet-faced Saoirse Ronan; the veteran Julie Walters is a blast; and the girl’s young Italian/American lover is played by a charming Emory Cohen. The film deserved even more than its 3 Oscar nominations.
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
Neptune at the 2015 Locarno film festival in Switzerland
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