Brooklyn

[Smarties]

A bit too melodramatic for my liking, but a fairly enjoyable film. Agree with what others are saying in regards to the ending which felt very rushed. Some bad CGI backdrop when she was on the ferry to New York, surely you'd think they would be able to afford to film that scene on an actual ferry. Was surprised that Julie Walters' role was so small.

[ladams888]

Saw this last night in Wimbledon. I found it very dull, predictable and uninspiring. Naïve Irish girl goes to America, homesick, meets boy, falls in love – etc etc. Straight out of Mills and Boon. I found Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) to be one-dimensional and simply could not empathise with her. I enjoyed the characters played by Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters – they both lifted the film above mediocrity. 4/10

[biggins]

I enjoyed this film and thought Julie Walters was excellent as the landlady and wished she had a bigger part in it.
I laughed at the changing your swimsuit under a towel as I can remember as a teenager going on a family holiday and no changing rooms on the beach my mum or my sister would hold the towel tight round me while struggling to dress and keep my modesty. 7/10

[The Sparrow]

I enjoyed this film and thought Julie Walters was excellent as the landlady and wished she had a bigger part in it.
I laughed at the changing your swimsuit under a towel as I can remember as a teenager going on a family holiday and no changing rooms on the beach my mum or my sister would hold the towel tight round me while struggling to dress and keep my modesty. 7/10

I think many of us have struggled with the bathing suit problem and it really is a great idea when someone tells you to wear it under your clothes lol

[raj101]

I did watch most of this and its a decent movie with excellent perception of the troubles of immigrating to America during that time when Britain was treading all over the Emerald Isle, but theres an emphasis on the romance that I didn't need. Its a chick movie, but for a chick with historical depth. It will probably do a lot better in Ireland than here.

not always the slickest film making though - scenes where the cast were clearly NOT on a ship, or when the cars passing on the street clearly weren't being driven normally....

[claire]

This is what I would call a Sunday afternoon film.
Lovely setting and sweet storyline
Easy to watch and would happily watch again 8/10

[yogi]

Good performances and some scene stealing from Julie Walters and Tony's little brother, but not really my cup of tea 6/10

[tombr]

This film has a good story my wife loved it for me it was a bit slow at times but overall i would say it was good and rate it 6/10

[Spring]

This is what I would call a Sunday afternoon film.
Lovely setting and sweet storyline
Easy to watch and would happily watch again 8/10

I agree with you, I found it quite emotive especially when the homeless chap sang

[opas]

I loved it. Was in tears at certain points. The performances were fantastic throughout.

I wasn't so certain that the outcome was so predictable. I felt Eilis' dilemma and I wonder if she

Spoiler

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hadn't been caught out by that witch of a shopkeeper, she may have kept those letters in a locked drawer and just stayed in Ireland.

She clearly didn't want to abandon her mother (that was so heartbreaking, after the sudden passing of her sister) and she was settling back in, enjoying being back home and slowly falling for the likeable and very eligible Jim who clearly was showing her that he was more than the standard bore she expected from the rugby club.

Also, following in her sister's footsteps by taking the book keeping role was filling her with a sense of pride, even if she was coerced into the job at the very beginning. While her sister wanted more for Eilis, the confidence she gained by her year abroad, falling in love for the first time, studying and working in an international city gave her the drive and independence she didn't have when she left. You could say her sister's aim had been achieved. She built a resilience and independence in her little sister to survive without her and not settle for a dull life.

I could imagine her looking at Tony's letters as an older woman 50 years down the line, after marrying Jim and having a decent/good life (I'm sure, with time, she would have fallen in love with Jim in some way) but she would always be wondering what could have been. Instead it went the other way. Played into the myth of the "American Dream". That will go down well with US audiences.

I'm not saying that staying would have been the right choice as she would have let down Tony and shattered his heart but that's real life, it would have been easier for her to stay. I thought Tony might have come after her in Ireland and find she had moved on with Jim - which would have been awful for him.

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It was a real gem and Ronan deserves the praise she is getting. 8.5/10.