Now that ‘Brooklyn’ has premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, many reviews of the film have started to come out, most of them praising the production and the acting of not only Saoirse, but also her castmates. James Dempsey, from Newstalk, gathered several of those reviews into a single post, making it easier for us to share them with you. As he mentioned, reviews of the film have been overwhelmingly positive, with many critics singling out Saoirse as a frontrunner for a ‘Best Actress’ nod, to add to her 2007 nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for ‘Atonement’.
In The Telegraph, critic Tim Robey writes that in taking on the role of Eilis, Ronan produces “easily her most mature performance, and she steps up to the occasion with captivating sensitivity. The whole shape of Eilis’s life feels somehow up to the young actress playing her, which is exactly as it should be.”
The The New York Post review describes Ronan’s work as “an awards-calibre performance,” while Eye for Film applauded the Irish actress for giving her role the “space to breathe and transform from someone smart but timid into a more worldly decision-maker.”
On RogerEbert.com, critic Susan Wloszczyna enjoyed the film, though warned that its romantic plot means it “could easily become your grandmother’s favourite movie of the year.” But Ronan was singled out for lifting the movie up with her “ability to deploy her expressive features with aplomb while relaying her character’s inner journey.”
But The Mary Sue, a feminist pop culture blog, was glowing in its praise of the entire film, saying: “Along with Ronan’s lovely, contained performance (saying it is one of her best so far is saying a lot of an actress who has already been so good), and excellent support from the cast, the script is really remarkable and stands out as one of the very best of year.”
Brooklyn will be released in cinemas on both sides of the Atlantic on November 6.
