Schlocky and sentimental, but I don't give a damn. Saoirse Roman is absolutely magnificent in this loving and lovely movie, and her romance is one of the more believable ones I've seen on film, despite (or perhaps because of) its almost oppressive perfection. It manages to be really funny and really romantic and really sad and overall just really wonderful. The movie equivalent to chicken soup and ice cream, nothing really to make your mind stretch but it nourishes the soul deeply. I cried quite a few times, and I'm not really a crier. In the end, it was impressive just how deeply I cared about every character on the screen despite its brief (but beautifully paced) runtime. I can unhesitatingly recommend this to anybody with a heart; you will be moved.
Anybody else see this yet? I would really recommend seeing it.
What was Emory Cohen like? I was surprised to see him in such a prominent role, considering he was roundly regarded as perhaps the worst actor alive when was playing Debra Messing's son on Smash.
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
I found this movie completely charming and both Ronan and Cohen are absolutely perfect for each other! A little schmaltz can be a wonderful thing now and then!
I remember seeing the trailer for it and thinking that it just looked hokey and dull. But I saw that Nick Hornby did the screenplay and I was intrigued. Then I read some of the reviews and was even more intrigued. Finally saw it last night and what a wonderful surprise it turned out to be. What could have been an eye-rolling bore was actually beautifully realized thanks to a smart script, tasteful direction and a finely selected cast led by a beautifully subtle and strong Ronan. This movie really shouldn't be as good as it is. But damn it, it is WONDERFUL.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
Isn't it just nice to see a young female-driven story that isn't dystopia or cynicism-tinged (and often heat-packing)? It's a genre sadly ignored by the ever patriarchal, adolescent male-catering film industry, reason alone to cheer.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Colm Toibin is one of my fave writers and while I wouldn't put Brooklyn above some of his short fiction or The Master I am really looking forward to the adaptation. When it finally opens here. Glowing reviews the only dissenter seems to be The New Yorker who found the recreation of the setting too sanitized - at least that seemed to be their big complaint.
The scene in "Nettles" shop in the end was extremely tense. I was thinking the exact same thing as Eilis in the moment. I would have never guessed that was Blanket from SMASH, but now that I think on it I can totally see it. Nice supporting roles/performances from Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, and Jessica Paré.
Ronan is simply mesmerizing on screen, but she will amnesty's be that texted girl from Atonement.
"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-
Cohen? He will charm your socks off. It's a sweet, wonderful performance, with even a strange little nod to Brando (I swear that's what it is) at times. His Tony is in no small part why the film works seemingly so effortlessly. It's impossible not to root for him from his entrance. They are a winning couple, their chemistry is presented with a very different lexicon and style than we're accustomed to in screen romance. It's a throwback that is still rendered with few words and yet many connections. Ronan is just perfect, from first frame to last. She is blessed with a face for film, and here more than any other movie she is front and center, and luminous. And a subjective observation: the film has two immigration point-of-entry scenes that wring earned tears, all the more because it's 2015 and the very concept of immigration has been reduced to shame and posturing.
The film will be called overrated, the closer we get to the peak in awards season. But it's so unassuming, trying to be nothing more than what it is. It's small but not without eloquence and depth.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling