Movie Reaction: Brooklyn

Formula: Bridget Jones's Diary - 50 years

Cast: There's Saoirse Ronan and there's everyone else. It's her movie and no one comes close to outshining her. Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson play her suitors. Jane Brennan and Fiona Glascott play Ronana's mother and sister. Jim Broadbent is a helpful priest. I especially enjoyed Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow) and Jessica Pare (Mad Men) in small roles.

Plot: In the 1950s, an Irish immigrant names Ellis (Ronan) travels to Brooklyn to build a new life. There, she falls in love with a plummer of Italian decent (Cohen) - not named Mario. Tragic events bring her back to Ireland, where she must decide to either stay home with a new potential love interest (Gleeson) or return to her new life in America.

Thoughts:
It's easy to assume that this is just a love story. That's certainly how it's being sold, and any description of it sounds like one. The "Who will she choose: the American or the Irishman" of it all is a big part of the story, but it isn't the story. No, the real struggle in the movie is between staying home and building a new life elsewhere. That's the strength of the movie.
Ellis leaves Ireland because there's no opportunities for her there. At first, her life in Brooklyn is hard, but she overcomes that. She makes friends, finds work, and best of all, falls in love with a good man. When she returns to Ireland her old friends and family are there, a good job is available, and a good man falls for her there too. There's compelling arguments on both sides of the ocean.
Ronan does a fantastic job playing every beat of the story. Ellis is not an easy role. She's goes through a lot and goes through a range of emotions. This is a great reminder of why she is a previous Oscar nominee and will be again, if not for this, then in the future. I haven't seen Emory Cohen before. He's very charming here. Domhnall Gleeson has to be just as good in a fraction of the time Cohen has. No surprise, he's up to the challenge. The entire cast exists only to supplement Saoirse Ronan and they do a great job.
At it's heart, this is still a period romance (of a man or of a city). I was surprised by the sense of humor in it and it looks great. It's not the most exciting movie though, and a couple times, I question the need for certain plot decisions and scenes. Overall, very well done.

Elephant in the Room: Who does she choose? If I told you that, what fun would it be? I'll say this much, it's the decision that feels right.

To Sum Things Up: 
It's fun to go back to 1950s New York. This is the best vehicle for Saoirse Ronan that I've seen and the movie works because of her. I expected it would be more of a tear-jerker. That it isn't is for the best.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend