Belfast Movie Review

Kenneth Branagh has made a name for himself as one of Hollywood's most talented filmmakers. Helming projects such as 'Henry V', 'Thor', 'Murder On The Orient Express', 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit', 'Death on The Nile' and 2021s 'Belfast', which Branagh took home the Oscar for, for best original screenplay. 'Belfast' tells the tale of a working-class family in the 1960s, during a difficult time in the Northern Ireland capital. The film features fantastic performances from Dame Judy Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Jamie Dornan, Catiriona Balfe, and newcomer Jude Hill, who steals the film. As someone who loves almost everything that Keneth Branagh has done both in front of and behind the camera, I could not wait to see Belfast and boy did I leave this one with a big old smile on my face.

'Belfast' is a wholly original tale, chronically the life of a working-class family during quite a difficult time. This is captured effortlessly by the master himself Kenneth Branagh. The film was shot in black and white, which adds authenticity to the project, making it feel stooped in reality, grounding the story. This decision alone proves Branagh's worth in Hollywood as the film is one of the more starkly beautiful releases of 2021. 'Belfast' also boasts one of the best casts in 2021 as well. Dench and Hinds both walked away with academy award nominations for their work in this film, showcasing their talents. Dornan and Balfe are also fantastic, but young Jude Hill steals the show as Buddy. His childlike wonder and obliviousness to the conflict that surrounds him in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast, is charming and provide the audience with a lense to see this world through. A lot of this comes down to Branagh's superb direction, however, the performance he managed to get out of the young Jude Hill is astonishing.

The film's small-scale and personally focused story of a larger conflict is the perfect way to tell this story. Focusing on one family and how they function through the adversity they are faced with, allows the audience to really put themselves into the situation, with is genius on Branagh's part, because it is the most compelling element of the film. The childlike wonder and obvious inspiration from Branagh's childhood, allowed me to really connect with Buddy's journey. His wonderment and imagination as well as his family's courage during such a difficult time is truly inspiring. I left watching 'Belfast' with a smile on my face, knowing that there is still this type of smaller film being made on a large scale.

'Belfast' was a fantastic little film. With so many big-budget, blockbuster films releasing on a near-weekly basis, it was nice to watch a small, personal tale with this much heart. It was sweet, sad and everything in-between and I can't recommend this enough. Head to your local Sanity or online to pick up a copy of 'Belfast' today on DVD or Blu-Ray, you won't want to miss this one! Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity.

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here