WAITING FOR THE OSCARS, I'VE SEEN A FEW: BROOKLYN

Waiting to discover this year’s winners in a few hours, here's my third Oscar- nominated -movie review. I’ve been recently seeing a few of the nominees. Have you read my post about The Danish Girl? And what about the one about Labyrinth of Lies? Have I seen Leo in The Revenant, you ask? Not yet but ... fingers crossed for him! Promise,  I'll watch it soon.  

BROOKLYN tells the moving story of Eilis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within (from Youtube)

Can I just start saying this film is poignantly beautiful? To have a visual idea of how beautiful it is in every sense,  have a look at any of the close-ups you can find in the web of Saoirse Ronan as Eilis, its protagonist. She is the embodiment of all the beauty in this movie. Pale, sweet features, big blue eyes staring at an unkown, vast, scary world.

“Home is Home” and homesickness may kill. How can you deal with so much pain without being tempted by a bit of melodrama or theatricality? None of that in Brooklyn, can you believe it? Nick Hornby did an Oscar-worthy job at adapting Colm Toìbìn’s novel and Irish director John Crowley did an impressive one at crafting this film , which deserves all the standing ovations earned so far at Festivals around the world.

There’s so much Irishness in this story,  but there is also so much universality and thought- provoking matter. It’s a rare migration movie, where you get the message and record the emotions deep down in that part of you who really knows what to be uprooted would feel like, how fighting nostalgia and searching your own place in the world among strangers would knock your strength down. A stare, a silent cry, a sad Irish song and you are there shivering at the thought of how acute pain,  sorrow and loneliness you could get to experience.

You'll feel so homesick that you'll want to die, and there's nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won't kill you... and one day the sun will come out and you'll realize that this is where your life is.

Dreams and fears, sisterly love and romance, loneliness and homesickness, ordinary life in Brooklyn and Ireland, the hard task of growing – up and making the right decisions for yourself and your loved ones, all of this is dealt with impeccably, without exaggeration or hyperboles, though the emotions are all there and get deeper and deeper,  especially when you feel trapped in a new comfortable dream  with Eillis back in Ireland on her visiting her mother after her selfless sister died.

Does she really want to stay  now and start a new life back home? Well, she’s tempted, home is home. Is she really convinced when she , instead, makes up her mind and goes back to Brooklyn, to Tony? Any choice involves a renounce and Eillis knows that now. We feel Eillis has grown-up and is confident she has found her home in her love for Tony.

Nominated to 3 Oscars	Best Motion Picture of the Year Finola Dwyer Amanda Posey
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Saoirse Ronan
	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Nick Hornby

An Oscar to awesome Saoirse Ronan, please. She truly deserves one. 

Brooklyn  at amazon.co.uk  and at amazon.com