'Belfast' Review: Kenneth Branagh's Memoir Is A Beautiful And Touching Film That Should Be Experienced By The Entire Family. A Masterful ...

Arlington TX

14 November, 2021

2:09 PM

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By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report November 13, 2021 As the film begins in an alleyway in 1969 Belfast, kids frolic in the streets, seniors ride bicycles, and mothers call out for their young. The atmosphere is ripe for a song as if Lin-Manuel Miranda was about to unleash another musical. But this is Kenneth Branagh's new film, one based on his childhood memories, set during the turbulent era that saw Protestants and Catholics clash on the streets of Northern Ireland. There is song and dance, thanks to Jamie Dornan's energetic "Everlasting Love" performance, nostalgic clips of Hollywood's yesteryear, and a story overflowing with heart as we engage with a young family doing what they must to survive while making sacrifices along the way. Newcomer Jude Hill plays 9-year-old Buddy, a vibrant outgoing young boy who we first meet in the streets of Belfast passing the time playing gladiators while carrying a wooden sword and a metal trashcan lid as a makeshift shield. It's through his eyes that the story is told. For all purposes, Buddy is an average kid who loves the outdoors, going to the movies with his parents Pa (Jamie Dornan), Ma (Caitriona Balfe), and older brother Will (Lewis McAskie) — "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" provides a magical moment in the film that will have you singing along with Buddy and his family — and of course, he loves television shows including "Star Trek" which makes an appearance on the big screen as does vixen Raquel Welch in "One Million Years B.C." Seeing all these clips of classic films and television shows in a theatre, amps up the film's sentimental component. Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench play Buddy's grandparents, the veteran actors are the highlight of Branagh's autobiographical film, who like most grandparents provide Buddy with brief respites from the anxiety at home as Ma and Pa come to grips with the fact the neighborhood is changing as The Troubles were just beginning. In one pivotal scene, violence erupts on the streets as Protestants march down the block calling out the Catholic families while Molotov cocktails are thrown, automobiles explode, and there at the center of all the pandemonium is little Buddy frozen in the line of fire, with a horrifying look on his face. Props to Hill whose performance is remarkably natural. Dialogue could never do justice to the scene that relies on a closeup of Hill to express the horror of the moment. Branagh takes full advantage of his actor's faces to convey the emotional impact of a scene as when he zooms in on Dench in the final act, her weathered face and soulful eyes will haunt you long after viewing the film. The conflict between the two religious factions, dived over the future status of Northern Ireland, provides the backdrop for Branagh's story but its focus remains on this wonderful young family. The joyous moments in "Belfast" outweigh the tumultuous ones making this a wonderful film that the entire family can view together. Plus, it could spark conversions about religion and war, bonus! To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.