Those who are frequent visitors to these pages will know that I loved Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical tale, Belfast. The film premiered over this past month and most recently played a sold-out BFI London Film Festival. It also picked up the prestigious People’s Choice Award at TIFF, so it is looking very good for this one come Oscar-season, which is about to kick off in earnest.
This one is a little way off from playing to UK audiences where it doesn’t open until February, but trust me, it is worth holding out for.
Quite frankly, I fucking adore this movie.
Here’s the synopsis:
From lauded director Kenneth Branagh, and starring an acclaimed ensemble cast, Belfast is a personal and joyful story about the power of memory, set in late 1960s Northern Ireland. At the center of the film is Buddy, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
You can read my review in full from LFF over here. It’ the full five stars, obviously.
Belfast opens on 25th February, 2022. Here’s the new trailer.
