The film is quite lovely. It's not quite so ravishing or melodramatic
as to make one swoon, but I kinda like that about it. It's simply a
classically told, beautifully made romance filled with sincere,
expressive performances. Saoirse Ronan's star turn as a timid immigrant
turned savvy woman about town should have no problem finding awards love
this season, but here's hoping the treasure that is Julie Walters
doesn't go entirely forgotten. She's absolutely dandy as an ornery
boardinghouse matron, and leaves a more lasting impression than her
relatively little screen time would suggest. This is the sort of role
that aught to be recognized in Supporting Actress nominations (not
co-leading ladies posing as supporting players to avoid internal
competition).
The whole thing -- nicely directed by John Crowley -- flows very gracefully. Nick Hornby has a way of distilling the spirit of his source text and channeling it into succinct, visually astute scenes. After having been passed over for what was last year's finest adapted screenplay, here's hoping the writers branch of the Academy can atone.
