Belfast
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Lewis McAskie, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds
Reason for watching: new release and award season bait
Number of times I’ve watched it: first time viewing
***
If I had a nickel for every time I walked into an awards-season movie thinking it was going to be pretentious and then walked out after the credits rolled and was actually emotionally uplisted, I would have one nickel. And it would be from this movie. Trust me, I have seen a lot of Oscar-contending films that are touted as “visionary,” “extraordinary,” and “tugging at your heartstrings.” And most of them are boring at their worst and inoffensive at their best. But let me tell you, Belfast sidesteps all of that and actually finds a way to burrow into your soul by reminding us about something we all hold dear: home.
Our story follows Buddy (Jude Hill) in 1960s Belfast. He lives with his Ma (Caitriona Balfe), Pa (Jamie Dornan), and older brother Will (Lewis McAskie). He spends most of his days spending time with his family and Grandma (Judy Dench) and Grandpa (Ciaran Hinds), and he tends to enjoy his youth and the fun times to be had. But he is also surrounded by the chaos caused by religious groups attacking one another, Buddy finds his childhood endangered. But everything could change if his family decides to leave and head for a new life on the other side of the world, but can they leave where they have grown up and spent all their lives?
First, this cast is just terrific. We have so many great actors doing excellent work. Hill delivers a breakout performance here with poise and a youthful joy that often gets underestimated in young actors. I am happy to see Dornan getting to escape the infamy of the Fifty Shades of Grey by getting the chance to show off a more compassionate and struggling side. Now granted I have not watched Fifty Shades of Grey or its sequels (because I do not want to) and maybe Dornan was showing off that same range there. But no one went to those movies for Mr. Dornan’s acting. So here it is REALLY highlighted like it has not been before. Balfe does well as an overwhelmed and stressed-out mother. Both Hinds and Dench are the most joyful and loving grandparents that you could spend time with.
One of the other strengths behind Belfast is the settings and cinematography. Whenever you have a movie in black and white it is a choice that can come off as incredibly pretentious if the rest of the camera is not used well. Light and framing have to be used in a way that captures an audience’s attention even more than normal because you cannot rely on the vibrancy of color to keep a theatergoer focused on what you are showing them. Belfast succeeds beautifully here. Tracking Shots. Zoom-ins. Close-ups. We are constantly brought into the world of this movie in beautiful ways.
Ultimately, what really keeps this movie strong is the message about the difficulty of leaving how. No matter what part of your life you are in, leaving a childhood home is complicated. And how this movie captures the reality of that in a very relatable way. In these times when a lot of folks are leaving the safety of their jobs, a movie like this can remind of how challenging that can be. And we as a society can use movies like that.
8/10
Until I see another one.