"Brooklyn" Is Old School Hollywood Magic

Author Colin Toibin wrote in his novel, "Brooklyn" that his protagonist Ellis Lacey and her family could, "do everything except say out loud what they were thinking." In the film adaptation of that same novel, Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan makes this aspect of her character incredibly clear through her incredibly textured performance. Over the course of the movie's near two hour running time, we see the evolution and growth of a young woman in an unfamiliar land play out beautifully across her expressive face.

It's the early 1950s, and Ellis can't find work, or purpose, in her native small Irish town. Her older sister Rose (Fiona Glascott) knows this, and writes to a good willed priest named Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) living in America. He sponsors her pilgrimage to Brooklyn, where he's secured a place in a boarding house and a job at a high end department store for her. Though Ellis doesn't particularly want to be separated from her beloved sister, mother and everything she's ever known, she boards the boat, and sets sail. The first few months plague her with homesickness, and a yearning for her past life; She waits on the letters from home, hanging on every word, staining the pages with her tears.

That all begins to change when she meets Italian-American Tony (Emroy Cohen), who is adorably besotted with Ellis in way that throws her for a loop at first. But as she continues to see him, she finds herself easing into her life in America much smoother than in the beginning. She enrolls in night classes, which she excels at, and one day hopes to be a book keeper like her older sister Rose.

It all seems too good to be true, and Ellis begins chronicling her blossoming romance with Tony instead of her aching heart in her letters home. But tragedy strikes, and Ellis is called back home to resolve a death in the family. She returns with a glamour and assuredness that was missing when she decided to leave. She's positively glowing, and attracts the eyes of the town's more eligible bachelor, Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) who tugs at her skirts to keep her at home. But she also feels the allure of her life she's made for herself across the sea, and is plagued with making a decision. Travel back to America and continue the life she's carved for herself? Or return to her familiar town to pursue opportunities that weren't previously available to her?

It sounds like a very typical, predictable story, but so much of the thrill of watching "Brooklyn" is watching Ronan map out her character's very detailed, progression from meek, unsure young girl to assured, confident and blossoming young woman. As I mentioned before, Ronan's expressive face tells us everything Ellis may not be saying. Her arc is believably and meticulously carried out full circle, so that when the time comes for her to decide, we understand how she got there.

Ronan has always been a capable actress; Look no further than her work in "Atonement" or "Hanna" to prove that simple fact. But she has never found a project that's truly utilized her talents, until now. Not only do we watch Ellis grow, but we see Ronan mature as well. This film marks a new chapter in her career, and I'd be shocked if she doesn't get nominated for Best Actress. Hell, she could even win the thing.

The film's biggest surprise, however, is Emroy Cohen. Tony may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's got a huge heart, and I challenge everyone to try and not fall in love with him. He's a warm presence in every scene he's in, and serves as the film's beating heart. Ronan may do a lot of the heavy lifting, but the film would be missing a huge chunk of what makes it so great.

And that's ultimately what makes "Brooklyn" such a winner: it's giant heart. The screenplay adaptation from Nick Hornby ("Wild" and "An Education") improves upon some of the novel's flaws and injects a lot of feeling and humor to keep the story moving. The film's funniest sequences are with Julie Walters, who plays the landlady in Ellis' building. She's a fine example of a true supporting character, making an indelible impression with her small amount of screen time. I hope she can find some room in the awards conversation if Supporting Actress category frauds such as Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander would be so kind as to step aside.

"Home is home," says Tony in a quiet scene shared between the two lovers as they discuss their futures. "Brooklyn," for all of it's great performances, beautiful production design and costumes, is ultimately about one thing: Home. It's warm, gentle, and evokes the fond memory of that one place you go to when everything seems wrong in the world. And for about two hours, "Brooklyn" becomes that place, in all of its warm, heartwarming glory.

Grade: A+

Oscar Chances: I think Ronan is so much more of a lock than people are giving her credit for being. Everyone that has seen "Brooklyn" has raved (that 99% on Rotten Tomatoes is nothing to scoff at), and you can't reward the film without rewarding her; Ronan IS "Brooklyn." The expanded Best Picture field should have enough room for the film to find love, and Hornby is a lock in Adapted Screenplay. Voters will love "Brooklyn," but just how much? If they're over the moon for it (as they should be) then Walters, Cohen and maybe even Director John Crowley could find (deserved) love in the Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and Director categories.