Brooklyn

http://www.brooklyn-themovie.com/

When in London for the weekend and you're faced with a day of rain, there's only one thing for it, a movie.

My companions and I weren't sure what to see as we'd initially wanted to check out Crimson Peak, but that had mostly finished. Then we considered seeing Burnt, but I'd already promised to see that with another friend. Finally, one of our group suggested seeing Brooklyn as she is a fan of Saoirse Ronan. 

I've only seen Ronan in a couple of movies, How I Live Now and Lovely Bones (I don't count Atonement as I honestly don't remember anything about her in that, other than her being the little sister who ruins everything for Keira Knightley's and James McAvoy's characters) and I wasn't particularly impressed by her in either of those offerings. I recently caught a bit of The Host when it was on TV but again I wasn't particularly gripped by the performances or the storyline and eventually I changed channel. 

I knew nothing about Brooklyn other than who the star was, and as such, I must admit that I went in with rather low expectations.

The movie tells the story of Eilis Lacey, a girl growing up in Ireland in the 1950's who gets shipped off to live in Brooklyn through an arrangement made by her sister Rose, and priest Father Flood. At first she is homesick but she eventually builds a life for herself in Brooklyn, meeting a nice young man out there and wanting to settle down. But when family tragedy strikes, Eilis must decide where her heart really lies.

It was only after the film was a short way in that I remembered reading a little about the story and I recalled thinking that it sounded quite creepy, this young girl being shipped to Brooklyn through an arrangement with a priest. Thankfully the movie is quite the opposite. The friendship between Eilis and Father Flood is a sweet one, he's very much a guide and father figure for Eilis and their scenes together are lovely. As is the film as whole.

I cried a lot more than I was expecting to, it is very much a weepie, but it's so rich with characters who you absolutely fall in love with, from the idyllic boyfriend Tony, to the girls in the boarding house, including the head of the house Mrs Kehoe, played brilliantly by Julie Walters, right down to Tony's little brother who steals the two scenes he's in completely. It's a genuinely lovely, heartwarming story and I could not fault a single thing with it. 

I guarantee that such a nice little movie will not be around for long so I urge you to see it while you can. 9 out of 10.

 

Viewing Date - 7th November 2015

UK Release Date - 6th November 2015

Cast Overview:
Eilis Lacey ~ Saoirse Ronan

Tony Fiorello ~ Emory Cohen

Jim Farrell ~ Domhnall Gleeson

Father Flood ~ Jim Broadbent

Madge Kehoe ~ Julie Walters

Miss Kelly ~ Brid Brennan

Mrs Lacey ~ Jane Brennan

Rose Lacey ~ Fiona Glascott

Director ~ John Crowley

Writers ~ Nick Hornby, Colm Toibin (based on his novel of the same name)

About Time

http://www.abouttimeintl.com/uk/

Had it not been for Rachel McAdams, the fact that this was a Richard Curtis film probably would have been enough to keep me from seeing it. Other than The Boat That Rocked, I've not been that big a fan of Mr Curtis. But luckily for About Time, it does have Rachel McAdams, and that was enough for me.

The film opens on a New Years Eve party, during which Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), shakes hands with a girl at midnight rather than kissing her. The next day, Tim's father (Bill Nighy), reveals that the men in their family have the ability to travel through time, as long as it's within their own lifetime. Not believing this preposterous story, Tim decides he will try to go back to the New Years Eve party and kiss the girl. All he has to do is shut himself in a confined space, close his eyes and think of the moment he wants to go back to. So when Tim opens his wardrobe door to discover he is back at the New Years party, he is beyond belief that his father was telling the truth. Not only that but he is excited for all of the possibilities this will open up for him, mainly with the opposite sex.

The best way I can descibe About Time is to tell you what I said to my friend as the credits rolled, 'that was a really nice film'. Now, to some of you, the fact that I said it was 'nice' might sound boring, safe, not all that interesting. And I suppose that depends on your definition of nice. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me feel something for it's rather ordinary characters in an extraordinary situation. With a premise like this there are of course plot holes. To be honest, I liked the film so much that I don't really want to dwell on that by nit-picking. About Time is a really sweet, touching film, lovingly made by those involved, wonderfully acted and I would highly recommend it to all ages.

It's rare for me to like British made comedies, it's even more rare for me to like films by Richard Curtis. Combine the two and I should have hated About Time, but it's different, and I like that about it. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 25th September 2013

UK Release Date - 4th September 2013

Cast Overview:

Tim ~ Domhnall Gleeson

Mary ~ Rachel McAdams

Dad ~ Bill Nighy

Kit Kat ~ Lydia Wilson

Mum ~ Lindsay Duncan

Uncle D ~ Richard Cordery

Rory ~ Joshua McGuire

Harry ~ Tom Hollander

Charlotte ~ Margot Robbie

Jay ~ Will Merrick

Director/Writer ~ Richard Curtis