Some great child actors lose a spark when they grow up — a certain intensity or spontaneity goes out of them, and they become ordinary people again.
Apparently this is not going to happen with Saoirse Ronan, the Irish actress who came to notice in weighty roles in “Atonement” and the otherwise misfired “The Lovely Bones.”
Now 21, Ronan effortlessly carries “Brooklyn,” a luminous new film touted as a likely Oscar nominee. Could be, but whatever the voters decide, Saoirse Ronan deserves credit for making this movie come to life.
She plays Eilis (pronounced A-lish), a young woman who leaves her mother and sister in their small Irish town for an opportunity in New York City. The lonely immigrant finds herself working in a department store and taking classes in accounting.
Eilis also meets a young man, Tony (Emory Cohen, “The Place Beyond the Pines”), who hails from a boisterous Italian-American family. Such cross-pollination must be carefully considered — this is the early 1950s, after all.
As it goes on, “Brooklyn” offers one devastating loss and a few moments of serious decision-making. But nothing in it goes overboard; everything is connected to real life, and no dire villains are visible. Well, maybe with one exception — but her role is relatively brief and even helps our heroine focus on what’s right.
“Brooklyn” is adapted by Nick Hornby from a novel by Colm Toibin. The story is so basic, I found myself expecting some big shocker to come along. But maybe the challenges of being an immigrant in a new country are enough — this movie makes a virtue of simplicity.
Ronan is surrounded by sharp performers: Domhnall Gleeson (“Ex Machina”) as a nice young suitor in Ireland, Julie Walters as the no-nonsense owner of a boarding house for girls, Jim Broadbent as a supportive expat priest, and Fiona Glascott as Eilis’s encouraging older sister.
“Brooklyn” might’ve turned into a romance novel or a soap opera, but the filmmakers have found just the right tone throughout. I wasn’t crazy about director John Crowley’s previous films, including “Closed Circuit” and “Boy A,” but here he keeps a steady hand on the wheel. Much of the film plays out in close-ups, as though to underscore how the movie is simply about making decisions.
Eilis has a couple of big choices, including the dilemma of whether to stay in her exciting new country or return to the familiarity of home. Saoirse Ronan plays this interior drama with intelligence and a sincerity that seems true to the film’s era. In some ways she’s an innocent abroad, but she’s nobody’s patsy. What a refreshingly authentic character to root for.
“Brooklyn” (31/2 stars)
A luminous film keyed to the intelligent performance of Saoirse Ronan, as an Irish immigrant who travels alone to New York in the early 1950s. The movie’s simplicity is its strong point, as the story is rooted in real-life decisions and the tug-of-war between home and new horizons.
Rating: PG-13, for subject matter
Showing: Pacific Place, Sundance Cinemas Seattle
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