Belfast Review

 

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 98 minutes 

Starring: Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Caitríona Balfe, Ciarán Hinds, Jude Hill

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

The story: Belfast follows young Buddy and his working class family as he grows up amongst the tumult of 1960’s Northern Ireland.

The verdict: There is no place like home, or at least no place like your home town. This is certainly the case for young Buddy who lives with his Pa, Ma and brother Will in Belfast. With Granny and Pop living around the corner and their neighbours like extended family, Buddy and his family cannot imagine ever leaving Belfast. Indeed, Ma never worries about where her boys play because “everyone knows them and everyone likes them.” Unfortunately, this sentiment is severely tested when their home, livelihood and lives themselves are threatened by The Troubles.

Belfast is an astonishingly evocative film. Not only is the film a love letter to 1960’s Belfast and the people who lived there, it is also a love letter to childhood. There are moments and people that we encounter as we grow up and it is not often until we are much older that we realise how influential those moments and people were. Watching Belfast and you cannot but help reminisce about your own childhood and family. It doesn’t even matter whether you have any of your own links to Belfast the place, though of course if you do then this film will take on even more significance, this film pulls you into a slice of time and a moment in history.

Belfast is shot in monochrome black and white which not only makes it visually striking, but also allows for a much more nuanced viewing experience. Many of the shots are beautifully framed to demonstrate the contrast between old and young or to show conflict between two characters. The decision to show the tv shows and films that Buddy watches in colour, against the black and white, works spectacularly well. The wonders of the screen bring so much joy and colour to life, and this is reflected in the cinematography. Overall, Belfast looked incredible on the big screen.

Performance wise, Belfast’s ensemble cast is brilliant and you cannot fault a single performance here. Young Jude Hill is definitely someone to look out for in the future and his engaging performance carries the film throughout. Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds are the grandparents everyone wants and Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe are perfect as the mother and father just trying to do the best by their family.

There were so many moments during Belfast which sparked an emotional reaction - it produced lots of laughs and even threatened to bring on tears several times. Belfast is a beautifully poignant and simply classic coming of age film, and one that will certainly be rewatched.

The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half