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Belfast
(Focus Features)
By Lucas Allen
Winner of the People’s Choice Award from the 2021 Toronto Film Festival, “Belfast” is writer and director Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical account of his childhood growing up in Ireland. Although it contains fictional characters, you can tell that the filmmaker experienced certain events in a similar manner. It also gives a new generation of moviegoers an education into one of the bloodiest wars in the 20th century.
A young boy named Buddy (newcomer Jude Hill) is raised in a Protestant household in a Catholic-dominated neighborhood in Belfast, Ireland. During one August weekend in 1969, his whole world changes when a group of Protestant loyalists cause a riot against the Catholic section. It’s spilled over from earlier Northern Ireland riots during the beginning of what would be known as the three-decade long conflict called The Troubles. But Buddy still has his loving family going through the rough times with his mother (Caitriona Balfe) left to raise him and older brother Will (Lewis McAskie), while father (Jamie Dornan) has to work weekdays in England. Buddy also turns to his Granny (Judi Dench) and Pop (Ciaran Hinds) for help with schoolwork and first crushes.
At his school, he has his eye on classmate Catherine (Olive Tennent), who he hopes to marry when he grows up. Meanwhile, his father is causing money problems for the family because of tax mismanagement. Worse, he’s constantly harassed by Protestant loyalist Billy (Colin Morgan) to join him in the cause. Soon, little Buddy will see his life turned upside down when his father considers moving the family out of Belfast.
This film is truly heartwarming as a simple family drama using the director’s childhood experiences as the right backdrop. It’s easy to see what Branagh saw early in his life that would later shape his career as actor and director. The emotional trauma plus his imagination as a means of escape can be understood through the Buddy character. He also nicely used other movies the characters watch on television and in a movie theater to help provide parallels to what was going on in this film’s story. A great example is the use of classic film westerns like “High Noon” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” to drive the point forward about the real-life bloody conflict.
The movie’s full of genuinely humorous moments with the family realistically portraying them finding a way to guide through the darkest moments. It contrasts with the emotionally gut-wrenching scenes on the streets with the rioting. For those not too aware on world history, this also serves as a prime introduction about The Troubles and the bloody conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. It’s fascinating to learn about religious persecution during a turbulent era, especially through character dialogue and actual newsreels.
Branagh was able to employ some good actors to give his story a lot of life. Hill, as Buddy, does a pretty good job for a first major role. Both Balfe and Dornan have believable chemistry with each other bringing heart to the film. Dench and Hinds also have great scenes because of their gentle humor and charm.
It’s great to see a movie like “Belfast” come along to give audiences a reason to feel lifted with the right mix of comedy and drama. While it does have elements of an awards caliber, it manages to rise above it by keeping it both simple and impactful.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for some violence and strong language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.75 Stars (Out of Four)
