Film Review – Brooklyn

There are so many amazing vintage themed films either out at the moment , or coming out in the near future. I thought it would be fun to try and watch as many of them as possible and share some reviews on here. Good excuse to go to the cinema too!

Todays film is Brooklyn, I was lucky enough to see this wonderful film a few weeks ago at one of the previews. I’d been looking forward to seeing it for ages, after seeing the trailer. I’m sure the vintage lovers amoungst us will all feel the same way…

I had hoped to get my review up before the film was released in cinemas, but as usual I got a bit distracted and forgot. Sorry! The film is however, now out in cinemas so you can go and see it too.

The film tells the story of Eilis Lacey, an Irish girl who travels to New York in the early 50s to start a new life, leaving her mother and sister behind. At first she feels homesick and struggles with her new life, but eventually things begin to settle down and there’s even a rather lovely love interest! When tragedy strikes she is forced to return home to Ireland, but will she ever make it back to Brooklyn? That’s all I’m telling you about the plot because if I tell you any more it will give away too much!

So what did I think of the film? Well first up lets talk about the costumes. My love of 50s clothing is what initially drew me to the film and I was not disappointed. Everything about the clothes was perfect, I felt like I really got a good sense of what clothing was worn in the early 50s by normal everyday people in both Ireland and New York. Eilis’ beautiful cotton skirts and dresses were absolutely beautiful and I especially loved the knitwear. Since seeing the film I’ve been looking for all the components to reproduce the outfit pictured above, which is absolutely lovely.

The film is based on the book by Colm Tóibín and adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby. With two absolutely amazing writers behind the project, the plot and script are really good. The film is very simple and takes it’s time telling the story. The slow pace works very well in this film and despite not very much happening I felt completely engaged with the story and the characters. Since watching the film, I have picked up the book and I’m looking forward to giving it a read so I can compare the book and screenplay.

The film has an amazing cast with Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent, doing an absolutely amazing job with their small roles as a boarding house owner and a priest respectively. The younger cast members also absolutely shine. Saoirse Ronan’s portrayal of Eilis is perfect, she is totally believable and acts the changes in the character so subtly that you don’t even notice them happening. The two male leads Domhnall Gleeson and Emory Cohen also do a fantastic job. 

I would definitely recommend the film, if you love a good quality romantic film with a little substance. Also if you love vintage fashion and the 1950s then this is a must see for the period detail alone.

If you’ve already seen the film what did you think? I’d love to hear other people thoughts.