Film Review: Belfast
Images courtesy of Universal Pictures Australia.
Belfast takes us on a walk down director Kenneth Branagh’s memory lane, telling the tale of an extraordinarily difficult and violent time in the history of Ireland through the innocent eyes of a child.
It is through those eyes that we experience a narrative that breathes warmth, grace and humour, despite its ever looming backdrop of disorder, which occasionally boils over into the forefront. We feel safe, but never absolutely certain that the characters are. Although, it must be said, this safety is both the film’s biggest strength and what keeps it from being a truly amazing piece of art.
Belfast is far from a bad film, with its calm greyscale beauty and stellar performances from Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, and newcomer Jude Hill in the lead performance; but it never quite manages to reach the soaring highs and gut-punching lows of more poignant wartime films. This is a story told through rose-tinted glasses, thoroughly effective in its own right as a feel-good escape, not unlike the films and stage shows that Buddy and his family attend, punctuating Belfast with splashes of colour.
To that end, the movie clearly comes from the mind of a man who loves his cinema, and any fellow lovers of the art will find Buddy a welcoming audience surrogate. It’s a film that offers both a peek back into the past as well as hope for the future, reminding us that turmoil is an ever present feature of the human condition. It is through this adversity that the things most important to us become crystal clear; having a sense of home, community, and family.
The theme of family is the glue that bonds the experience, anchoring Buddy and his relatives to the titular town even as the Troubles of Ireland and the fire they bring with them encroach, right up until they’re knocking at the door. Buddy’s bond with his Pop and, to a lesser extent, Granny (played by none other than the treasure that is Dame Judi Dench) take precedence over his relationship with his own mother and father, as they often provide less disciplinary nuggets of wisdom (the kind that can only come from a life well-lived). Ma and Pa also get their share of golden moments; a scene in which Dornan’s Pa thanks Balfe’s Ma for raising their children ended up being a personal favourite.
Tender, sweet and sincere yet restrained, Belfast is a joy to behold, walking a tightrope of emotion that tugs at all the right strings, even if it does feel a bit wrapped in its own blanket of nostalgia.
Belfast is screening in cinemas from Thursday, 3rd of February.