Last time I got to talk about Saoirse Ronan’s “deer in the headlights” acting. Now she’s not a bad actress, mind you, far from it. However, Soairse often falls back on a blank, curious expression common with creatures taking in information before reacting. And this time she found a good venue for it. In Brooklyn, Soairse joins the 1950s Ellis Island crowd. First time in New York City will make a frozen deer out of just about anybody.
1951 Ireland holds nothing for Eilis (“AY-lish” … played by Saoirse: “SEAR-shah” Yes, I had to look it up). She’s run out of school and prospects. Her best friend is the catch, not she. Eilis is ignored by suitors and potential employers. She works part-time at a grocery store for an ogre. Oops, spoke too soon. She worked part-time at a grocery store for an ogre. Her sack-worthy crime? She’s going to the United States.
“Eilis, you’ve just been fired from a crappy job by the worst employer in Ireland … what are you gonna do next?”
“I’m going to Disneyland!”
Oooh, tough break. Disney is still four years off and on the wrong coast. No, Eilis is departing mother, sister and country for Brooklyn, perhaps to eye-witness the birth of Lou Ferrigno. Her immigrant experience is about as tame as one can imagine – she’s on her own, yes, but she has a job, a place to stay and an artificial family in the boarding house run by Mrs. Weasley Keogh (Julie Walters). She’s homesick. Who wouldn’t be? So, naturally, Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) enrolls her in night school (for free!) and then she finds a boyfriend (Emory Cohen). Want a tip to beat homesickness? Fall in love. That will do it.
“So what,” you might ask, “is the conflict here?” Good question. Well AY-lish is I-rish and TOE-knee is I-talian. Oooooo, this is where the big battle comes, right? Well, sure, I guess, if by “battle” one means Tony’s family is wonderful and Eilis has to take spaghetti-eating lessons. Seriously – this plot is cute until you realize that this is it. Tony is completely 
gentlemanly and respectful; their relationship is hand-holding and home-walking. Points, I guess, to Brooklyn for presenting a 20th C. set of Italian New Yorkers not into organized crime.
I walked out of Brooklyn smiling. I really did. So I’m sticking with the three stars I gave. But Brooklyn sours the more I think about how undaringly the screenplay delved. At the end of the film, Eilis has essentially got a choice between one wonderful future and another wonderful future. That’s two more wonderful futures than most people, let alone immigrants, get. At a time when the immigrant experience in the United States is pain and frustration and deportation at gunpoint and paranoia and endlessness, she solves her “being American” woes in under one act. As a result, this film has all the long lasting power of a Jell-o square. Consume, swallow, enjoy, forget. That was it.
♪Hi-diddle-dee-dee
The immigrant life for me
Take a job in department store
Are you hungry? Ask for more
Fall in love, your heart will soar
The immigrant life for me
Hi-diddle-dee-dass
The immigrant life kicks ass
No need for you to wear a frown
Opportunity comes both up and down
Weapon away, my skin’s not brown
The immigrant life kicks ass ♫
Rated PG-13, 111 Minutes
D: John Crowley
W: Nick Hornby
Genre: Immigration made easy
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: People who hate conflict
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Anybody who has ever done something illegal to stay in the United States
P.S. Another Domhnall Gleeson sighting.
♪ Parody inspired by “Hi Diddle Dee Dee”
