As we enter the start of the season, awards whispers become audibly louder as Kenneth Branagh’s latest directorial offering, Belfast debuts to festival audiences to rapturous applause and deserved standing ovations. A front-runner surely, the film is the British filmmaker’s most personal work; an intimate story inspired by his early years, and a sincere and heart-rendering love letter to its titular city.
Opening to beautiful, presumably drone-shot sweeping vistas of contemporary Belfast, before immediately desaturating to rich monochrome taking us back to the summer of ’69, Branagh’s brilliant masterpiece is an account of the start of The Troubles in the city, as well as a deep dive into a more personal tale. Newcomer Jude Hill is Buddy, a boy from a working class family living in a vibrant inner city street, one made up of both Catholics and protestants. It’s the height of summer and trouble has broken out across the city and rioting has reached their home, shattering Buddy’s idealistic life of playing outside in the glorious sunshine, and a thriving community where everyone knows each other by name.
Family wise, Buddy lives with his older brother, Will (Lewis McAskie), mother (Caitriona Balfe), billed simply as Ma, and Pa (Jamie Dornan) who, though, is usually away working in England as a joiner on large projects. There is also granny (Judi Dench) and Pa (Ciarán Hinds). There are money woes, Dornan’s character frantically trying to pay off a looming tax bill, and local gangster Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) has also set up shop with protecting offers – setting up barricades, though in return wanting cash from the families to keep the mounting troubles away.
There’s tons more going on – there is a really lovely family story at the heart of it all, and some really lovely nods to Branagh’s career and life – ardent fans will note nods to Thor, Agatha Christie and even his beloved Spurs via visual gags, and there’s a wonderful uplifting tone despite the serious nature of the material. There are wonderful uses of colour sprinkled throughout as well, but it is frequent collaborator Haris Zambarloukos’s stunning visuals that really shine, along with excellent music from none other than Van Morrison.
The cast are exception – notable stand outs being Hinds as Pop – a truly empathetic turn that’ll have you reaching for the tissues – I think we’ve all had someone like him in our lives that we can identify with. There’s also the wonderous discover in the young actor in Jude Hill. The film asks a lot of its leading man, and he truly delivers. Balfe and Dornan also delight, their shining moment coming two-thirds in during a dancehall rendition of Love Affair’s ‘Everlasting Love’, a moment that will cement your earlier suspicions that the film has all tough magic ingredients to make it a true contender for everything this awards season.
Believe the hype, this is the film of the year. A film drenched in personal reflection, melancholy and cultural and political history, while also a glowing dispatch back to one’s roots. A truly sensational piece of work from one the very best proving why he is still one of the very best. It will win everything.
Belfast was reviewed at the 2021 BFI London film festival.
Belfast
Summary
A beautiful, deeply personal piece of work from one of the very best. A reflecting, melancholic work of art that’ll have you laughing and crying throughout. Wonderful.
