January 14 2016, a glorious day for Irish Cinematography – Lenny Abrahamson’s Room and John Crowley’s Brooklyn have been nominated for Best Picture at next month’s Academy Awards.
Our beautiful Saoirse Ronan is nominated for Best Actress for her starring role of Eilis Lacey, while Brooklyn is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. This is Saoirse’s second Oscar nomination. She was previously nominated for the Best Supporting Actress in Atonement in 2007. Way to go, girl!
Brooklyn is facing competition from The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
I won’t write any review here, it is not my forte. I advise you to see the film regardless of your age or gender. I enjoyed every bit of it. A very good quality film, a simple story – but are not the simple stories the most moving and true?
You can watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/15syDwC000k
As I said, I haven’t intended to write a review. I will speak about the time when the film had not existed yet. Well, except for in John Crowley’s head.
Brooklyn is based on a novel by Colm Tóibín, and you can read this very interesting interview he gave to The Guardian. The story begins in a small Irish town of Enniscorthy.
In the end of March 2014 I met an old acquaintance, and he proudly told me that he had been recruited for Brooklyn as they were looking for hundreds of extras. We agreed that I would come over and take some pictures of him. It was arranged for Friday, but on Thursday, I woke up before the sunrise with a strong feeling that if I want to see Saoirse Ronan, I have to go now. So I did, and I was right, because she left for the US the following morning.
I didn’t know the town well, and I had no idea where exactly the filming would take place that day. After struggling through the narrow one-way streets I finally found a big parking lot. ( Advice: when you park in an unfamiliar place, take pictures to show the locals if you happen to get lost).
I walked around the town and spotted some activity in the Court Street. So that was the place!
I took some photos of preparations. The street got new ( vintage) looks: houses were repainted, windows replaced.
The markings on the asphalt were carefully covered. ‘One worker two supervisors’. 😉
More camouflage.
Court Street has never seen so many vintage cars.
I was getting comfortable, but then security guys came over and asked everybody to leave the set. After another half an hour there was a taxi – Saoirse Ronan arrived!
All these pictures are taken from a distance, and their quality is poor, but I was very happy to get a glimpse of our local favorite actress.
Hair stylist is adding the last touch to her perfect hair.
Most of the filming took place inside the house. This is all I have got.
A few seconds of acting.
The man with the props cart was really annoying – he was in front of everything! 🙂 In this photograph you can also see Jim (Domhnall Gleeson), one of the main male characters. As you see, there is no chemistry between Eilis and Jim on the set – no wonder it didn’t work out for them in the movie 😉
Another surprise – Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards, Felicity from the Arrow, was on the set! Props cart in front of my camera, of course!
Waiting was long, filming lasted about half an hour ( mostly inside the building). Actors left, barriers were removed and I walked through the movie set. Local extras remained standing in their positions, unwilling to return back to reality.
I suddenly realized that I had no clue where my car was.
After a long search and five minutes of embarrassment asking a local by-passer where he thought my car could be, I finally left the town.
I am really glad they have made a good movie.
Marje from KYROSMAGICA nominated me for a Girl Love Blog Challenge. Thank you Marje! We girls have to stick together and support each other! Marje is working on her YA fantasy book, and her blog is a fun and magic place 🙂 Please visit and follow!
Here’s what you do for the #GirlLove Challenge:
- Tell your followers who inspires you, a famous woman who may be dealing with negativity on a daily basis.
- Tell your followers who inspires you in real life, a woman you always interact with.
- Tag five women bloggers who you love. Compliment them and tell them why you love them, and comment under their latest post with the link to your #GirlLove post!
Add the tag ‘Girl Love’ to your post, so we can see them all! Let’s start 2016 with LOVE for each other!
My answers:
- Audrey Hepburn is undoubtedly an inspiration, but there is a less known woman, a blogger Stephanie Nielson, a mother injured and disfigured after a plane crash when she was only 27. Here is her blog.
- In my real life, there are many women who inspire me. Some of them are young, some not really. They are mothers and grandmothers who are living their day-to-day lives not knowing that they are special.
- There are five ladies bloggers I nominate for this challenge. (No obligations – I only want to share your blogs with others )
Poet and author Ellie
Artist Mihaela
Author Teagan
Holistic wayfarer Diana
Author Shehanne
I love what you do!
Have a great week ahead!
Making memories 
All wonderful photos, Inese, even though the man with the props cart did his best to ruin them for you! I can feel your enthusiasm and excitement underlying your words – you really enjpyed observing and photographing the movie set. You’ve done a great job of convincing me I really should see this film. Saorise Ronan is such a lovely looking girl.
Thank you so much, Millie! Isn’t she lovely? She wears the same clothes on the set, as in that poster 🙂
She has a delicate and fresh kind of beauty. You were fortunate to catch a glimpse of her, especially in ‘those clothes’! A real Irish rose – or should that be Irish colleen? 🙂
Rose is a good enough word – Rose of Tralee is a local beauty pageant 🙂
I intend to see the movie, and now I am looking forward to it more than ever. Thanks Inese.
It is a good movie, and the book is OK. Usually it works the opposite way 🙂
Very interesting. I’ll have to look for and watch Brooklyn.
Lovely movie about new beginnings, challenges and temptations. Thank you for stopping by!
Reblogged this on KCJones.
Sounds so exciting! Glad you got those photos too.
Thank you Cynthia! I glad that the movie has got three Oscar nominations. Couldn’t see it coming at that time 🙂
I wish I were there – I can sense your excitement when documenting each moment! I will watch the movie for sure – it has great review!
You will like it, for sure, Indah 🙂
Thanks so much for following http://fonzandcancer.wordpress.com I really do appreciate it – Fonz
What a cool experience! I can’t believe the way they transformed the street! Good pix even with the prop cart. It never occurred to me how they move their props around!
Yes, it was a new experience, and I marveled at many things 🙂
They were filming in two other places nearby, only indoors. I think it is what that props cart was for.
Saoirse Ronan is a local girl from County Carlow, and many people came over to support Irish actors. I have seen some of her movies and loved them. You have to watch this one, it is very well made 🙂
Congrats for this event! Now I’d like to see the movie.
Marie, you will love the movie! I don’t know if it is on DVD yet. We will wait the end of February and hope for the Academy Awards 🙂
We will!
That’s very interesting. I’ve seen a little bit of filming before, but usually for news shows and things, not period drama. I’m fascinated by the way the filmmakers can take a modern-looking street and with a few fairly cosmetic touches, take everything back decades. The original buildings just haven’t been altered that much over the years, I guess. 🙂
Oh I am sure the owners were happy to have their houses repainted. It was fun to watch all of that, but on my way home I was wondering what was going to come out. Everything looked too primitive, amateurish at that time. But being a photographer I know the power of post production, and indeed, the movie came out splendid.
I’m glad it came out well. It would be a shame to go to all that trouble and end up with nothing much of value to show for it.
Oh yes, and it is very often the case.
Well, I’ve lost count of the number of movies that didn’t live up to their initial promise.
True. Fine with me though, unless they force me to watch these movies.
The only movies I ever get forced to see are ones with my kids, but there are no shattered expectations in such cases because usually my expectations are rock bottom to begin with. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised, though.
The same was with Brooklyn. The book is OK – just another book, not the best of the author, but the movie is spectacular, and thoughts provoking. Even your teenagers might like it 🙂
Thanks for the tip. If I see it at the DVD store, I’ll check it out.
I like the vintage redo! Did those gigantic boots Emily Bett Rickards is wearing in photos 13-15 really make it to the movie? Surely not.
Haha, I was unsure myself. Actually, I was unsure of many things, but look what a great movie they have made. This scene took just a few seconds in the movie, and it is unrecognizable.
What a fun post! I will see the movie for sure now. I don’t blame the extras for lingering on set. It must feel a bit like time travel. Your photos are fab, even of the props cart! LOL glad you found your car.
Thank you Resa! 🙂 You will love the movie for its atmosphere. It is about anyone who has left home and started a new life.
Yes, lost my car, couldn’t find the parking lot anymore. What a goose!
Wow! What great behind the scenes shots. Well done Inese. I loved the movie, it’s sets were so authentic. I did struggle with the book until I got to about the middle of it but only because I found it a little slow going till then. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! 🙂 Yes, the book is not the best of the author. It is one of those rare cases when movie is greater than the book.
Very interesting post! I’ll be telling others about it. We recently saw this movie and were knocked out by it. Wonderful acting, wonderful cinematography.
Thank you for stopping by! I am so glad to hear that you saw the movie and loved it. Saoirse Ronan is acting even when she doesn’t say a word 🙂
For some reason I cannot visit your blog. When I click on your profile name and picture, I am sent to a single page, apparently not in use. I would love to pay a visit. Please let me know if you still have a blog.
Best wishes!
Inese
What a great experience, Inese…..and amazing to see the street ‘made over’… Glad you got a glimpse of Saoirse Ronan
Thank you Sue, I was really glad to be there. It was a big event for Ireland 🙂