Cindy Prascik's Review of Brooklyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Awards Season means sacrifices. 

 

Anyone who suffered through Boyhood can tell you that. Thus, yesterday I found myself at the icky cinema where my feet stick to the floor and the toilets never work to catch Brooklyn before Star Wars chases it out of town for good.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, probably nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers if you've seen any, which I haven't.

 

A young Irish girl seeks opportunity in 1950s Brooklyn.

 

A list of the sort of films I most despise would look something like this:

 

1.) Movies about women;

 

2.) Movies for women;

 

3.) Movies by women;

 

4.) Movies about romance;

5.) Movies where nothing blows up.

 

Brooklyn is most of those things, but, somehow, I liked it anyway.

 

Brooklyn manages to tell its love story sans the manufactured angst that dumbs down most romances to a Nicholas Sparks level. 

 

The movie is an effective reminder of a time when going away meant *really* being apart from everyone and everything you knew and loved...no Facebook or Skype for keeping up with the folks back home. The heartache is palpable, as is the joy at finding that special someone that turns a new place into "home." 

 

Sincere, engaging performances by Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen, and fantastic supporting turns by Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent, make it easy to see why this little love story is considered one of the year's best pictures.

 

Brooklyn clocks in at 111 minutes and is rated PG13 for "a scene of sexuality and brief strong language." 

 

A romance that could make me forget I hate romances, Brooklyn is a wonder to behold. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Brooklyn gets seven and a half.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GAMBLER

In this remake of the James Caan 1974 vehicle The Gambler, an English professor (Mark Wahlberg) who is also a compulsive gambler finds that the only people who will have anything to do with him are those to whom he owes money. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Rupert Wyatt     

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Emory Cohen

 Release Date: Dec 25, 2014     

Rated R for some Sexuality/Nudity and Language Throughout     

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.     

Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller     

Review:

The Gambler is a film that’s trying very hard to be something special.  Rupert Wyatt gives the film a glossy sheen, driving it through its narrative with noticeable energy.  Mark Walhberg is doing his best Christian Bale impression by losing a massive amount of weight and looking generally disheveled.  John Goodman does excellent work in a supporting role as Mafioso.  Typically all this would make for an excellent film but the results here are mixed.  I respect Walhberg’s attempts to take his craft seriously but he’s seriously miscast here as the worlds most aggressive English professor.  He gives it his best try but it doesn’t work, it’s just never believable.  It’s always good to see Brie Larson get some work but she’s saddled with a nonsensical love interest role.  We’re told she’s a genius early on but her actions throughout the rest of the film tell us otherwise. John Goodman does give us an excellent supporting turn, creating an extremely intimidating character in limited scenes.  All in all The Gambler feels like a missed opportunity because there seems to be a better film in there somewhere.

C+