In searching the internet for recently released films to enjoy on a Friday night, I was pleased to come across the gem that is Brooklyn, a film based on a novel by author Colm Toibin, with screenplay by author Nick Hornby. Brooklyn was nominated for numerous awards, including numerous Academy Awards, BAFTA awards, a Screen Actor’s Guild award, a Golden Globe and more. Minutes into the film, it is easy to see why.

Brooklyn is a beautiful film with charming performances that enchants from beginning to end.

It was not its numerous accolades which brought the film to my attention, as I must admit to being wholly ignorant of its acclaim (including a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes) until after our viewing. It was this comment that led me to believe this was a film that my wife and I would enjoy:

“That’s what makes Brooklyn feel like such an anomaly: a well-crafted throwback to a different movie house age. It’s a cinematic construct that relishes taking long, easy moments to just study actress Saoirse Ronan’s serene face, watching her pale blue eyes say far more than a wordy, noisy script ever could.”

That passage, from a review by Bob Hoose, succinctly sums up what makes this story of a young immigrant women finding love and independence in America so notable: the skillful acting of Saoirse (pronounced Ser-Sha) Ronan.

Saoirse Ronan plays Eilis (pronounced AYE-lish), the youngest daughter of a widowed Irish family who is given a sponsorship to travel to America to make a better life for herself. What plays out on the screen is a subtle, intimate portrayal of a homesick young woman who, in the midst of personal growth, finds herself torn between the affection of two men and the pull of that sometimes illusive place called “home”.

Brooklyn is the type of film that makes me happy to be alive in the days of high definition, and ultra high definition, film making. The Eisehower-era architecture and clothing are lovely to behold, especially with the way that technology allows for the textures to be so richly realized on screen. The stark beauty of the Irish countryside makes me wish I had seen this one on the big screen. But it is the clarity that you get when the film lingers on the expressive face of Saoirse Ronan where you see the true beauty of the marriage of her performance and twenty-first century technical achievement.

I am generally not a fan of love triangle stories, be they on film, television or in novels, and so I was pleased to find that aspect of the story being such a small part of the overall film, and one that is different than what is so often seen. Without too much of a spoiler, I will say that the film (and likely the novel upon which it is based), does not indulge in the well-worn cliche of having one worthy and one unworthy suitor. In fact, I was so pleased with Domhnall Gleeson’s performance that I could almost forget that he was General Hux in The Force Awakens.

Which leads to another aspect of the film that I enjoyed, which was that even the bit-part characters were given a level of depth that allowed those characters to be more than just one-dimensional set pieces. With almost every talking part on screen we are allowed to see that there is more to them than their initial impression.

Everything about Brooklyn is subtle, which makes it unsurprising that this is the aspect of the overall film that has won it both praise and criticism.

All I can say is that I loved it. I cannot remember the last time I have been so impressed with an individual actor’s performance. It is a shame that Saoirse Ronan was up against such a rich field of contenders for an Oscar, as she was truly brilliant in this role. Actually, it isn’t a shame at all, it is quite refreshing to see such a competitive field of best actress candidates.

Brooklyn is a film that is well worth your time, particularly if you have the mind set to enjoy the beauty of the sets, the costumes, the landscape and one truly unforgettable performance.