It’s nearly the weekend again and that means it’s time for Film Focus. Here’s Todd Thacker with two new movies opening in local theaters.
From a well-acted mid-20th century period piece about an aspiring Irish-American immigrant to an action-packed Russian-American crime thriller with high-profile actors but not much by way of a coherent script… this week in theaters we have Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley and John Hillcoat’s Triple 9.

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Todd Thacker

Welcome to Film Focus. I’m Todd Thacker.

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Brooklyn (2015, John Crowley)
An Irish immigrant to 1950s Brooklyn has her past catch up with her.

In late 1951, a young Irish girl named Eilis (in a wonderful performance by Saoirse Ronan emigrates to Brooklyn, New York, looking to find for herself a new life and career in a foreign land. Her journey, though, is fraught with hardship and homesickness.

Interweaved into the story is the idea of the old world and the new world. She falls in love with an American named Tony (Emory Cohen) while back home is Jim (played by Domhnall Gleeson).

You might think this “love triangle” routine has been overused in cinematic storytelling over the years, but thanks to some clever plotlines by screenwriter Nick Hornby, Brooklyn does an good job of diving beneath the surface and unraveling her conflicted loyalties.

Anyone who loves a good love story, or New York City for that matter, will enjoy this beautifully shot picture.

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Triple 9 (2016, John Hillcoat)
Criminals and corrupt cops in Atlanta plan their biggest heist yet.

In Triple 9, the wife of a Russian mob boss blackmails a crew of corrupt Atlanta cops into carrying out a nearly impossible bank heist. Using their inside knowledge of police procedure, their job is to distract law enforcement while securing information that could clear the mob boss’s name.

So far, so good, but Triple 9 is weak in terms of the characters’ motivations and backstories. Nearly all are baddies, including Kate Winslet as the chief villain. Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck, meanwhile, play two well-intentioned cops who put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Triple 9 is action-packed, don’t get me wrong, and filled with double-crosses, greed, and revenge. But the sum total of the story leaves this otherwise good cast with not a whole lot to work with.