#MovieReview: Belfast is the most personal film of the year

Belfast is an intensely personal and tender look at late-60s Northern Ireland, despite the onset of “The Troubles”.

Told through the eyes of 9-year-old Buddy (played brilliantly by newcomer Jude Hill), the film breaks no new ground in the historical context, but is enjoyable nonetheless.

A subtler direction than usual from Kenneth Branagh suits the film, and you often feel as though you are looking through one of his childhood photo albums.

Shot with great effect in black and white, with occasional explosions of colour, Belfast can be a little derivative, but escapes most narrative issues with a sensible 90-odd minute runtime.

Spoilers to follow

Belfast opens on Buddy, frolicking and playing with friends on his home street in the Northern Irish city in 1969.

The idyllic childhood afternoon is quickly cut short by a rioting mob arriving, making demands of the Catholic homeowners and setting vehicles alight.

It is the start of “The Troubles”, an almost 30-year series of flashpoints between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland in which more than 3 500 people died.

After being escorted to safety by Ma (Caitriona Balfe), the family begins to deal with the new normal, that includes barricades and curfew.

Pa (Jamie Dornan) is a joiner who works in London, returning once every fortnight to his family.

He aches for his family to join him and constantly lobbies Ma to make the move amid the violence and difficult local job market.

The family has a strong affinity to their hometown however, with both parents and children born and raised on the same block.

Pa’s aging parents, played beautifully by Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench, are also a factor, as they would have to be left behind.

Branagh is clearly wrestling with his own family’s decision to leave Belfast, events that mirror the film’s narrative.

There is never a judgment call made on which side of the tension was right, rather choosing to show how life goes on despite what is happening at the time.

The decision to tell the story through Buddy’s eyes fits this tender retelling of Branagh’s childhood.

When viewed as a sweet autobiography, Belfast is enjoyable despite its emotional manipulation, but never reaches the heights for which it aims.

It is clearly Oscar bait, but is still very enjoyable, particularly given its 97 minutes runtime which is increasingly rare.

Do not expect a history lesson, but do watch Belfast for well-rounded performances and a sweet depiction of how families stay together in difficult times.

Rated PG-13
3.5/5.

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