Belfast

"No matter how far you go, you never forget where you came from"
Belfast is THE movie to watch this awards season. It is beautiful from start to finish.
Kenneth Branagh created a very personal work of art, which presents part of him, his childhood and his heart, but in a way that is accessible to all audiences with a story seen through the eyes of a child, beautifully played by Jude Hill in his first role: he has a wonderful angel who makes us empathize with him immediately, every smile, every surprise, every tear. Rounding out the fantastic cast are Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Lewis McAskie; all with great performances.
As for the visual and sound aspects, Haris Zambarloukos' photography is very, very beautiful, albeit with very obvious framing, but beautifully filmed. The soundtrack is perfect to accompany each scene, each moment of happiness, each moment of tension.
At a time when the future is uncertain, society is in turmoil, and anxiety is present in every person. The cinema has allowed us to capture all these emotions, but it has also given us a moment of reflection and a glimmer of hope. 2020 did it with Nomadland. 2021 did it with Belfast, without a doubt.
The last scene is touching in the extreme, and the dedication with which it all ends only makes one break.
Widely recommended.

WOW! This was a masterclass in storytelling about The Troubles, all crafted through the eyes of a young boy. I can’t even imagine a better cast and they brought their best performances as a stellar ensemble yet each had standing out moments. The film is equally balanced by childhood joy, family warmth, marital negotiations, an ever present threat of violence and discord, love and grief. Truly a masterpiece, acknowledged by the award attention it has received, from local film festivals all the way to the Oscars. Although others have been stingy in their ratings, I give this film a 10 (masterpiece) out of 10. [Period Drama]

Was lucky enough to snag tickets to this at London Film Festival. It’s been over a month now since I saw it and the scene featuring Everlasting Love has been living in my head rent free ever since. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone that can’t relate to the family in some way. Best ensemble and picture? Here’s hoping because the cast worked seamlessly together and their bond on and off screen is evident

(and Jamie along with the rest of the cast sat and watched it with us.. again.. literally my biggest achievements and flexes in life are being able to watch the film with him a few rows away and on the screen idc idc)

I was surprised at how light/easy it was to watch, given the seriousness of the topic at hand. Score is superb, the whole cast acted incredibly well, and it felt really personal. Refreshing after watching some Peaky Blinders, some of the accent (which I love) is still there but very little of the violence and psychosis presented by the characters in the series vs this movie. Highly recommended!

Close to perfect. While there isn't a single performance that disappoints, at the end of the day the movie rests on Jude Hill. It appears to be his first role and the kid just absolutely nails it. His adorably innocent and earnest perspective provides a strong contrast to the scary period in Irish history that is depicted. And it's that same contrast that overflows throughout the film. This is a family and a community that pushes through hard times with whatever positivity they can muster. In this way, the movie is able to be poignant and powerful, while still somehow feeling light and optimistic. I was surprised by how funny the movie was, with hilarious scenes sprinkled throughout (from the children's discussion of recognizing Protestants/Catholics by their name to the numerous quick witted one liners from Grandpa). I know I already praised all of the performances, but I'd be remiss not to specifically call out Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds, who deliver some of the most powerful dialogue in the film.

After recently seeing _The Fabelmans_ and _Babylon_, I thought it was interesting that this movie also has a pronounced focus on the impact of film/television/theater. Even more interesting was the fact that I think this movie was the most effective of the three in its use of that element. I think this was because film/tv/theater acted as a very real form of escapism, giving the characters a reprieve from the tension of their normal life. The clever use of color also didn't hurt. This also ties to the overall excellent production/direction throughout the entire film. The movie certainly deserved all seven of its Oscar nominations and I might have even given it a couple more wins to go along with best original screenplay.

As far as critiques go, I really don't have much to say. The only quibble I have might be that the final riot/confrontation scene was a bit overly stylized and dramatic for my taste. But ultimately that didn't detract much at all. An easy recommend and one of my top movies from recent years.

I found it to be an incredibly charming film. It had sadness, some humor, good acting. I especially loved Ciaran Hinds as Pop and Caitriona Balfe as Ma. Kenneth Branagh was able to put so much into this, even though it has a relatively short runtime of 97 minutes. The Everlasting Love scene was beautiful.

Terrific movie with typical Irish humour - that I love.

[8.2/10] Sometimes the only thing harder than leaving is staying. The working class folk who populate *Belfast* are torn between the communal bonds and shared history that makes them want to stay forever, and the sectarian strife and lack of opportunity that practically forces them to other shores.

This is a profoundly Irish story, rooted in a specific time, place, and people. But you don’t have to hail from Belfast itself to appreciate the central tension at its core. The sharpest choice writer-director Kenneth Branaugh makes is to center the audience’s understanding in both sides of the debate personified by Ma and Pa. Most of us can sympathize with a tug of war between what is known and familiar despite any of its foibles, and what is alien and a little scary, yet promising despite its differences.

The second sharpest choice is to root the perspective of the film through the eyes of a child. One doesn’t have to squint too hard to suspect this is Branagh retelling a fictionalized version of his own childhood, and the vividness of the piece befits that. But anchoring the story in a young boy’s perspective also softens and sweetens the piece, sanding down the edges of deadly conflicts, money troubles, and marital strife in the throes of a wee lad who just wants to do his school project alongside his little crush.

That softness comes from young Buddy’s naivete. In his own way, he worries about the ongoing skirmishes between the Protestants and Catholics in his neighborhood. He squirms at his parents fighting, misses his pa when he’s working far away, and doesn’t want to leave his hometown. But he also frets over an overly literal interpretation of a sermon about which road to take to Heaven, and bungles an attempt at candy bar theft after being coaxed by his cousin, and studies hard for his math test in order to sit closer to the little girl he likes. The juxtaposition of these grown-up problems and the misadventures of childhood makes the film roundly amiable despite some rough subject matter.

It also doesn’t hurt that *Belfast* is gorgeous to look at. Branagh and company opt for a black and white palette, and the irony of muting the colors is that it makes many of the more dramatic scenes -- featuring explosions and stand-offs and general tumult -- that much more vivid and striking. The choice to render film and theater in color (though not T.V., note the jab there), is a touch cheesy, but still conveys the enticing allure of the stage and screen to the young stand-in for the film’s director.

Beyond color-grading gimmickry, though, director of photography Haris Zambarloukos does extraordinary work framing the film’s many beautiful tableaus. The film opens and closes with a sense of danger and vulnerability amid utter chaos that, frankly, seem more in line with the work of Martin Scorsese than Branagh’s more staid filmography. But Branagh and Zambarloukos find all sorts of interesting stagings and ways to show different layers and depths to make the simple world of Buddy and his family come alive with visual interest.

The choices serve the meaning of the piece too, though. There’s frequent shots looking up from below which, while not exactly from Buddy’s perspective, help situate in the audience in looking at these grown-ups as almost larger-than-life figures, close and yet a bit distant.

Only they never shoot Granny and Pop that way. The greatest treat in the film is the relationship Buddy shares with his grandparents. They’re always close, almost always at the same level as their young grandson, to signify what these charming seniors mean to the little boy. Judi Dench makes a lot out of a little, with her mere reaction to the guileless question of whether she ever visited the Shangri-La she saw on film when she was young being a one-scene tour de force. The banter and dynamic between her and her husband is colorful and delightful.

But the heart of the picture is Pop, Buddy’s grandfather. Ciarán Hinds does incredible work in the role. He’s full of both hot air and genuine wisdom in the way all grandparents ought to be. The way he guides his grandson through issues as mundane as how to meet the young lady he’s sweet on and as grand as how to hold onto who you are in a strange, unknown place charms and touches the heart. His death is a piercing moment, both because it removes the nurturing figure Buddy wished to hold onto more than he wanted to be the world’s greatest or marry his tender crush, and because it severs one of the strongest ties his family has to the titular city.

That’s just another pebble on the scale pushing Buddy and his family out to London. There’s reasons to stay in Belfast: the community, the history, the culture that has sustained Ma and Pa since they were wee ones themselves. Going to London or Sydney or Vancouver would mean being an outsider, someone apart from friends and family and all you’ve ever known. But on the other side is the growing risk of poverty, the opportunities for security that lie elsewhere, and most of all the impending threats to life and limb in Northern Ireland amidst The Troubles.

The last factor is enough. The climax of the film is a nail-biting scene where the entire family narrowly escapes a fracas with their lives. The threat, the relief, the lingering peril, the loss of one of the great ties to this place, are enough to send a wary Buddy and company to their next destination, uprooting them from this one, while they nevertheless maintain their ecumenical spirit.

It’s not an easy decision or transition, for anyone involved. The ironic beauty of *Belfast* is that it celebrates the wonders and joys of this scratched-out corner of the Earth in endearing detail, at the same time it makes a compelling case for leaving it behind. It is both celebration and elegy, a commemoration of a place of meaning and spirit, and an affirmation of why so many felt they had no choice but to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was sad that it ended so soon and so suddenly.

A swell little film, this.

I may not have a connection to the events portrayed onscreen, but 'Belfast' is - despite the not so good true events that it's retelling - is a pleasant film to watch. With a perfectly timed length of around 90 minutes, this 2021 flick holds a lot of heart - it's also rather funny, it had me laughing a fair number of times.

The star of the film is undoubtedly youngster Jude Hill, who is an absolute joy in the role of Buddy - some performance from the 11-year-old! Buddy's connections with every single character are lovely, especially with those played by Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench - wait... that was Judi Dench?! I legit didn't even notice until the end credits, which shows how convincing her performance as a Northern Irish grandmother is... or perhaps I need my eyesight tested, who's to say.

Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe also merit props, in what is a very good release from Kenneth Branagh & Co. The target audience, along with others of course, will adore it, I'm sure. Also... love the choice of black-and-white, fwiw.