Belfast - (2021)
Personal, reflective and intimate, Belfast is an autobiographical look at Kenneth Branagh's childhood living in a dilapidated old house in the middle of a conflict-ridden street in the titular Irish city. Protestants and Catholics fight in one of the most pointless and trivial conflicts I've ever heard of, but regardless - they really mean it. Growing up amongst the danger is Buddy (Jude Hill) who is living your typical nine-year-old life, with a father who works in England but a close-knit group with grandparents, mother and brother. The cinema and theatre are highlighted by being shown in colour while the rest of the film is in black and white - the special nature of this probably isn't lost on many of us here - when I think back to my formative days, the cinema and drive-in form a huge part of that (probably the largest.) The film oozes remembrance, and has a deleted ending where Branagh himself is seen walking through his old neighbourhood - a grown Buddy amongst the ghosts of the past. I felt that the film was enjoyable, well-made and had a lot of heart - I didn't find anything remarkably special in it that raises it into a category of greatness, but I felt that deep-seated familiar touch.
7/10
Personal, reflective and intimate, Belfast is an autobiographical look at Kenneth Branagh's childhood living in a dilapidated old house in the middle of a conflict-ridden street in the titular Irish city. Protestants and Catholics fight in one of the most pointless and trivial conflicts I've ever heard of, but regardless - they really mean it. Growing up amongst the danger is Buddy (Jude Hill) who is living your typical nine-year-old life, with a father who works in England but a close-knit group with grandparents, mother and brother. The cinema and theatre are highlighted by being shown in colour while the rest of the film is in black and white - the special nature of this probably isn't lost on many of us here - when I think back to my formative days, the cinema and drive-in form a huge part of that (probably the largest.) The film oozes remembrance, and has a deleted ending where Branagh himself is seen walking through his old neighbourhood - a grown Buddy amongst the ghosts of the past. I felt that the film was enjoyable, well-made and had a lot of heart - I didn't find anything remarkably special in it that raises it into a category of greatness, but I felt that deep-seated familiar touch.
7/10
Jamie Dornan is a star, mind. He really ought to be in some bigger and better stuff now. He's brilliant too in the BBC Drama The Fall.