Review of Belfast (2021) by Lisalr1 — 21 Nov 2021

BELFAST triumphs as heartwarming story of family love & survival in tumultuous times of religious strife between Protestants & Catholics in 1969 Northern Ireland. The film is an autobio written & directed by actor Kenneth Branagh based on his own early childhood in Belfast.

The movie is told from the point-of-view of 9 year old Buddy, played by newcomer Jude Hill, whose luminous performance & angelic face steals the film. Equally excellent are his Pa & Ma, actors Jamie Dornan & Caitríona Balfe & his grandparents, the exquisite Dame Judi Dench & the marvelous Ciarán Hinds.

Through Buddy, the audience watches as the family manages to survive their Belfast neighborhood through religious clashes & violence, their own financial struggles, ultimately leading them to move to London & start a new life.

BELFAST is beautifully shot, primarily in black-and-white, by long-time Branagh collaborator, cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, featuring strong production design by Jim Clay.