A coming-of-age story set in the middle of a civil war, Kenneth Branagh’s (Hamlet, Cinderella) Belfast tells the incredibly personal account of nine-year-old Buddy (newcomer Jude Hill) who, during the summer of 1969, witnesses the violent clash of his Protestant neighbors trying to eradicate his neighboring Catholic families in the middle of the streets in Belfast, Northern Ireland home.
In a year when the ten Best Picture Oscar nominations have been anything but memorable, Belfast finds a way to delicately balance hope and poignancy as its lead character sees, hears, learns, and accepts that the only house you’ve ever known does not necessarily define a forever home. Of the ten movies selected by the Academy to represent 2021, Belfast is the best of the bunch. It’s an introspective film that finds a way to be memorable while telling a story that fits a blueprint. This can be attributed to Branagh’s introspection of a story near and dear to his heart and a core of established and rookie cast members who understood the director’s vision, immersed themselves in their roles, and created likable, memorable characters.
The film, which is shot in black and white, opens with Buddy playing innocently by himself in the middle of the street (we can assume that this is something he does most days) and witnesses an angry Protestant mob led by Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan – Legend, The Huntsman: Winter’s War), appear and march down towards him. A Protestant himself, Billy isn’t in direct danger, but he still uses a trashcan lid as a shield to protect himself from hurled rocks and other debris. The rioters aren’t there to kill (or even injure the Catholics). Instead, the intent is to scare and threaten them enough (think broken windows, small fires, damage to personal property) that they will leave Northern Ireland for neighboring countries on their own.
The entire film is seen through the purity of Buddy’s eyes. He lives with Ma (Caitriona Balfe – Ford v Ferrari, Money Monster), Pa (Jamie Dornan – Fifty Shades of Grey, A Private War), Pop/Grandpa (Ciarán Hinds – Justice League, There Will Be Blood), and Granny (Judi Dench – Philomena, Notes on a Scandal), and older brother Will (Lewis McAskie) in the only home he has ever known. He has a sweet, loving family, making him more innocent. When Billy, who has transformed himself simply as a resister into a vigilante who thinks that the law no longer applies to him, and the others threaten Pa to join the other Protestant men to fight the Catholics, Pa replies that he has no interest in their mission. On the brink of poverty in a city tearing itself apart, the family must decide whether it will stay in Belfast or move out of the country entirely. From here on out, the film centers around each of our main characters, how they feel internally about the crisis, and how they project themselves externally during it.
Billy’s crush on classmate Catherine (who is Catholic) is not random nor lost in the shuffle of the religious discord. Through this innocuous infatuation, Branagh provides a vivid example of how friendship, affection, and love trump any preconceived notions and differences that are too often created and reinforced by adults in an attempt to divide us.
Belfast is a soft, tender movie with a tension-filled backdrop. There are similarities between it and Life Is Beautiful, though the latter is a much better movie that will leave a lasting impression. Nevertheless, Belfast is worth seeing and is, by far, my favorite of the 2021 Best Picture nominees.
Plot 8/10
Character Development 10/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 8.5/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10
Universal Relevance 9.5/10
90.5%
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