Film review: ‘BELFAST’, by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

Kenneth Branagh’s heartfelt, energetic, if familiar, Belfast is a semi-autobiographical family drama and childhood rites of passage film set amid the increasingly menacing environment of Northern Ireland during ‘the troubles’ in 1969.

The film centres on nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill, in his feature acting debut), a likeable and precocious primary schooler living with his family in working class Belfast.  His seemingly carefree life of playing soccer in the street with friends, imbibing the popular culture of the time (like Hollywood movies and tv) and pursuing a pretty girl at school is suddenly invaded by sectarian tension and violence as Protestant unionists begin attacking Catholics in his street.  Soon, his world of innocent optimism is surrounded by smouldering rubble, barbed wire and British soldiers.  Within this tumult, his family endure personal battles with finances, health and parental responsibility.  Rather than a conflict between Catholic and Protestant, Branagh turns the story into a struggle between the positive forces of stability, family, community and simple pleasures like music and the negative chaotic forces of violence and extremism.

Branagh’s approach, while not necessarily derivative, does recall the work of other major directors.  There’s the precise framing, meticulous construction and occasionally obvious irony of Spielberg, the swirling energy and driving use of music (mostly Van Morrison) we see with Scorsese and the heart of John Ford.  As such, it cycles through touching sweetness, potent social observation and occasional cliche.  A few of the characters – particularly Buddy’s grandpa who’s also his confidante (Ciarán Hinds) – look as if they’ve been plucked from a film like How Green Was My Valley.  Still, for the most part, Branagh’s script has enough wit, charm and honesty to make the characters well-rounded and engaging people.

Branagh also uses black and white (with flashes of colour from movies and theatre) to depict the world of Belfast in 1969.  At first, this seems a little gimmicky but ultimately this approach conveys the feeling of a memory and of a world slightly different to and isolated from the surrounding reality.

Appropriately, as the film is essentially told from Buddy’s perspective, it doesn’t attempt to explain or analyse the political and religious underpinnings of ‘the troubles’ beyond what a child Buddy’s age would pick up from the nightly news or conversations.

For such a young actor in only his first feature, Jude hill gives a remarkable performance as the cheeky but endearing Buddy. We genuinely fear for his safety when he’s dragged into dangerous and violent situations and delight in his innocent attempts to impress the female classmate on whom he has a crush.  His co-stars are also excellent with Caitríona Balfe adding touching emotional layers to what could have been a cliched fiery, fed-up mother figure, Jamie Dornan conveying quiet dignity and moving resilience as Buddy’s dad and Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds making Buddy’s feisty, no-nonsense grandparents both funny and philosophical.

A film about the importance of family values and unity in the face of destruction could have been a little trite but Branagh gives Belfast just the right amount of dramatic weight, humour and warmth and importantly, reminds us of the dangers of tribal division.

Nick’s rating: ****

Genre: Historical drama/biopic.

Classification: M.

Director(s): Kenneth Branagh.

Release date: 3rd Feb 2022.

Running time: 97 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm right here on 88.3 Southern FM.  Nick can also be heard on “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Film Show” podcast. http://subcultureentertainment.com/2014/02/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-film-show

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