Belfast, director Sir Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film, has been met with a lot of buzz ahead of this year’s Oscars and it’s not hard to see why.
The predominantly black-and-white masterpiece is based on the filmmaker’s own experiences, following working class Protestant family Ma and Pa (Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan respectively), and sons Buddy (Jude Hill) and Will (Lewis McAskie) in the 1960s as their lives are flipped instantly upside down when conflict comes to their street.
Their family, joined by Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Granny (Dame Judi Dench) – who have both been nominated for statues for their roles – must choose to either stay and hope the Troubles will pass, or leave the area and everything they know behind.
The result is a truly stunning, bittersweet portrayal of some of the most terrifying times in recent history.
Sir Kenneth perfectly balances the growing tensions and normal life in Belfast, giving us all a different aspect of the Troubles and what those at the time truly went through. The way he introduced the riots almost instantly is blistering, showing just how much the lives of all involved were changed in the blink of an eye.
Through the family, he also sheds light on the fleeting moments of joy, making it a much-more light-hearted portrayal – filled with glimpses of laughter, dancing, singing and childish games.
The role of Buddy was the hardest part to cast and Jude is truly magnificent as the youngster, who is as terrified of the tensions as he is of not doing well at school. He steals the show throughout with some terrific one-liners, and bounces off the older, more established actors, effortlessly.
It’s hard not to smile as he panics about a school project and his crush on a classmate, and his worries about ‘which road to take’ and what friends he will have if the family move let us see the conflicts from a much younger, purer lens.
Caitriona is also terrific as Ma, struggling to keep her family together and safe as her husband comes and goes from work throughout the week. She is faced to deal with a lot by herself, and tries hard not to crumble in front of her sons – as well as her changing community.
Dame Judi and Ciaran steal focus as Buddy’s beloved grandparents, and have fully deserved their Oscar nominations for the roles, but Jamie feels knowingly underused as Pa. We see him mostly coming home from work and disappearing again. It highlights the reality of many families at the time but we’re left desperate for more interactions with his loved ones.
The film comes in at just over an hour-and-a-half in runtime – almost less than half of some other best picture nominees – and it truly flies by. If anything, we’re left wanting more of Buddy and his family, and are left in the dark by how their story ends.
‘Go now. Don’t look back,’ are the words the movie is left on and – in an ever-changing world – feel more poignant than ever.
Belfast is in cinemas now.
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