Review of Belfast (2021) by Moviemitch96 — 12 Nov 2021

Focuses on a young boy coming of age in 1960s Ireland with his family. Filmed in black and white and directed by Kenneth Branagh, this is a semi-autobiographical film based off his upbringing. And while it most certainly comes off as quite a love letter to the city he grew up in, none of it feels wholly remarkable or original, and despite only clocking in at a little over an hour and a half, it still manages to feel drawn out.

Really, the best way I can describe this film is that it feels like an Irish 'Roma'. It just felt rather derivative for my liking. Granted, the film's not without its charming moments, and the cast (particularly Caitriona Balfe and Dame Judi Dench) all give great performances, but none of that's quite enough to overcome a rather pedestrian, forcibly sentimental, and straightforward-feeling film that basically just felt like nothing more than Kenneth Branagh's 'Roma'.