Brooklyn

**Spoiler Alert**
Director: John Crowley/Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Nora-Jane Noone and Julie Walters

Brooklyn tells a story so seemingly uncomplicated, one might overlook its steady narrative, its sense of time and place and its touching simplicity. One might also overlook the understated yet compelling performance of its star; Saoirse Ronan, whose luminous, expressive eyes are a character unto themselves. Based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer Colm Toibin and adapted by Nick Hornby, Director John Crowley's film tells a very American story, which is to say it also tells an immigrant's story.

Saoirse Ronan plays Ellis Lacey, a young Irish woman in mid-20th century Ireland who reluctantly leaves her home for the land of opportunity. Leaving behind her heartbroken mother and her sister Rose (Fiona Glasscott), the unseasoned Ellis boards a ship bound for New York. On board, a savvy woman helps Ellis with her seasickness and serves as as sympathetic guide for the duration of the voyage.

In Brooklyn, Ellis is further aided by an Irish priest named Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), who is able to secure her lodgings at a boarding house for women (mostly Irish immigrants, like herself) and a job at an upscale department store.

As Ellis copes with homesickness, she also contends with more immediate problems, like fighting listlessness at her job; a condition which can be partly attributed to a longing for home. She is also troubled by her fellow boarders; whose busybody, gossipy behavior is difficult for Ellis to avoid and overcome. Ellis finds the boarding house madame, Mrs. Kehoe (a terrific Julie Walters) and fellow-boarder Sheila (Nora-Jane Noone, from The Magadalene Sisters) to be a sympathetic allies against the cattiness that prevails. Ellis also finds Mrs. Kenoe to be a supportive, motherly figure in her life.

A turning point for Ellis comes by way of a young, Italian-American man named Tony, whose genial, gentlemanly manner disarms her. As Tony courts Ellis, she receives dating tips from her fellow boarders and Mrs. Kehoe, who are titillated by her burgeoning romance.

Ellis also takes steps to improve her wage-earning power when Father Flood enrolls her in a bookkeeping class.

And as Ellis settles into her new life, gaining confidence and falling in love, her life takes a tragic turn when she learns of the death of her sister. Aware her mother will be alone and bereft of her sister's company, Ellis tells Tony she must return home for a short while. The development makes him anxious; knowing she might not return. Fearing for their relationship, Tony convinces Ellis to marry him before she returns to Ireland; a secret they both vow to keep.

Back in Ireland, Ellis finds her mother heartbroken and lonely while her best friend Nancy (Eileen O'Higgins), who is unaware of her friend's marital status, sets her up on a double date with an old acquaintance named Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson). Seeing her mother's diminished, emotional state and called upon to fill in as a bookkeeper at her sister's old job, Ellis begins to warm to the idea of being home. In a heartbreaking scene, we see her place one of Tony's unread letters in a drawer where other unopened correspondence rests. And though she resists Jim at first, she begins to fall for him, which places herself not only in a perilous position with her family and friends but with a community where gossip holds ruinous potential.

Ellis finds herself in an impossible situation, where she must decide between returning to her husband and her life in Brooklyn and remaining in Ireland with her mother and Jim, who slowly charms her with his warmth, kindness and solid social position.

A meeting with her former boss, who learns of Ellis' marriage; forces her hand, which leads to a definitive, life-shaping decision.

What is astonishing about Brooklyn is its straightforward story, which manages to be both involving and poignant. Eschewing sensational and gimmicky plotting, the film relies on stellar performances and real situations to tell its story. The story could almost be categorized as high-concept if not for Hornby's sensitive adaptation and Crowley's light touch with the material, which lay the groundwork for Ronan's exceptional performance.

The parallels between Ellis's life in Brooklyn and Ireland are numerous, as are the contrasts. Mrs. Kehoe serves as her mother figure in New York while her best friend Nancy's New York counterpart is Sheila. While she works toward a bookkeeping career in America, she occupies her sister's bookkeeping job in Ireland. The gossip at the boardinghouse table is mirrored by the much more corrosive gossip in her hometown. The crucial difference between the two worlds is America and what it means for Ellis and many like her. Self-determination, life in a multi-cultural community and upward mobility are the American hallmarks, while the old world appears more static, with its more parochial view of life.

A scene I found particularly powerful takes place in a Brooklyn community center where Ellis volunteers to serve Thanksgiving meals to elderly Irish men. Father Flood explains to her that the men who sit at the tables are the same men who helped build America's tunnels, buildings and railroads. During the meal, one man rises to sing a beautiful song in Gaelic to the rapt gathering. It is sad and moving and Flood's words reminds us of the Irish immigrant's contribution to America, which has largely been forgotten.

Crowley's film is well-rounded and has an unassuming charm. It might appear frail in this season of more conspicuous fare, like The Martian, Steve Jobs and Bridge of Spies but it also serves as quieter ballast to those emotionally-charged films.

Whether Brooklyn gets lost in the Fall shuffle remains to be seen. It isn't high achievement but it is engaging and well worth the time.