What a joy to catch up, finally, with the film Brooklyn. Lots of people had told me it was brilliant, and I actually bought the DVD a while ago, but for some reason (life) we hadn’t got round to it …. last night its moment came. I was quite confused for a while as I’d mixed it up with a Cate Blanchett film about lesbians in New York so I spent half the film wondering when our heroine would discover her true leanings. Needless to say, she didn’t and the bittersweet plot delighted and had me in tears in equal measure.
There were some fantastic performances – the sister, Rose, was so sensitively played, you could see each fleeting thought crossing her mind. And it was nice to see the jolie-laide beauty who plays Don Draper’s second wife in Mad Men. As usual, she seems to have a few too many teeth but manages to be utterly stunning.
It took me a while to decide on Brooklyn’s theme (always a good sign) and of course, being an American film about America it was distinctly pro-American – but not in an aggressive way. It was also really refreshing to see New York in a simpler, less embittered age. It’s easy to be rosy about the past but at the moment nostalgia has even more of a seductive pull.
A lovely film. Do see it if you haven’t already.
