Direction: Kenneth Branagh
Country: UK
Set during the violent Protestant-Catholic turmoil of the late 1960s in Northern Ireland, the autobiographical Belfast is the writer-director Kenneth Branagh’s love letter to the city he was born in. Digging into his childhood memories, Sir Branagh (Henry V, 1989; Much Ado About Nothing, 1993) crafts a finely-acted, sensitively-written chronicle about an Irish working-class family with a very hard decision to make.
Seen through the eyes of a 9-year-old (the performance of the young debutant actor Jude Hill as Buddy is immensely likable), this drama gets a lot of things done by the book but also shows a huge heart that one perceives very personal. The script, which could have been better disciplined, is sometimes too sweet to be completely winsome, and the film relies on the cheerful vibes of Van Morrison’s songs to add soul. I spotted a few unnecessary scenes - including a terrible singing moment featuring Buddy’s father (Jamie Dornan) - that work merely as superficial adorns to the story. However, while finding warm family ties and love in the ugliness of ‘The Troubles’, Branagh creates some emotional resonance. The scenes that involve Buddy and his grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds are awesome) are among the best moments.
Without getting overly manipulative, the film flows with the deep intimacy of Minari, the insatiable love-for-cinema of Cinema Paradiso and the violent backgrounds of Bloody Sunday. The enchanting black-and-white cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos is responsible for the seductive looks, and the performances enhance the director’s lingering sense of sentimental nostalgia. This work - dedicated to those who have departed, those who have remained and those who have lost their lives - is fairly enjoyable but not especially mesmerizing.
