Belfast Movie Review

Belfast (2021)

Rent Belfast on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Kenneth Branagh
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie, Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.

Verdict
It's just a sequence of scenes from Branagh's memories. I'm sure I'd be more nostalgic if I grew up in or near that city or during that time. This is Buddy's point of view, but he doesn't have any say in whether the family stays or not, and that story point seems to exist mostly to provide some kind of plot along with The Troubles which Buddy can't comprehend. I just wanted something more from the story than it can't provide.
It depends.

Review
This is set during The Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics. Branagh wrote and directed this, having grown up in that city during this time. This movie is his look back at his childhood, and it's clear how theater and movies influenced him. Those are the only sequences in color other than the introductory scene which is a flyover above Belfast.

Jude Hill plays Buddy

Buddy (Jude Hill) lives a charmed life playing in the streets, that is until this cuts to a riot. It's all a matter of perspective. This charmed life of Buddy's will soon change. Buddy is caught between the girl he likes at school and childhood gangs while a divide is being drawn between people in the city. Buddy doesn't understand it or care. He just knows his dad is always gone at work. Dad wants them to move away, seeing the writing on the wall while Buddy's mom has only known Belfast and doesn't want to leave.

Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds play Granny, Pop

The time period and general mood certainly seems nostalgic. This is a version of Branagh's childhood or at least his memory of it. This is the lessons and influences of his youth. Branagh saw movies differently, it had a look and light he never saw anywhere else. That's a neat aspect, but there isn't a what next. There isn't a scene that shows what Buddy learned or how this shaped him. This is Branagh's story, but it isn't really a movie with a conclusion. This certainly has an angle to it as memories are tied to feelings and not facts. This isn't about The Troubles, it's just a backdrop. The main issue of the movie is whether the family will stay in the city, but Buddy isn't an active participant in that decision.

This certainly has plenty of stars and is a well made movie, but I can't help but think about Roma, another black and white semi-autobiographical movie. That one certainly put the artistry and craft at the forefront.

Belfast seems to be more for Branagh than for me, but I'm sure if this was set in the '80s I'd have a stronger connection to it.