Brooklyn (2015)

Saoirse Ronan has porcelain features, which make her seem like she comes from another time. She’s perfectly cast as Eilis in Brooklyn, a windswept romance drama about an Irish immigrant who’s forced to choose between Ireland and America. In a gentle, compelling and headstrong lead performance, Ronan’s able to swathe us in her brave new world, from her career ambitions as a woman in the 50s to her arduous ocean voyages.

Brooklyn is an immersive journey of love, hope and resilience. Meticulous production design, accurate wardrobe, makeup and hair makes this period drama convincing as entire department stores and bustling New York streets come to life. This is a little big film, nuanced enough to distinguish itself from Hollywood and heartfelt in its triumph of the human spirit. Ronan was born to play this part and honours the casting decision with a performance that permeates and immortalises every frame.

She was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice and SAG award for the role, and the movie was nominated for a further two Oscars, for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Best British Film at the BAFTAs.