moderate threat, discrimination, infrequent strong language
2021 ( UK ) ( Biography, Drama, History )
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
STARRING: Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie, Caitríona Balfe
Winner of an Oscar for Best Original Screen Play and a BAFTA for Outstanding British Film of the Year, Belfast is a deeply personal semi-autobiographical drama by writer-director Kenneth Branagh about growing up during the Troubles.
It is seen through the eyes of the sweet and boisterous nine-year-old Buddy — played charmingly by newcomer Jude Hill — who lives in a mixed neighbourhood in Belfast where Protestants and Catholics co-exist peacefully. The Troubles are present in this film, but certainly not the main focus of it. It’s more a touching coming-of-age tale about an inquisitive boy who is trying to navigate school crushes, homework and pinching chocolate, while his stable, comforting home shatters around him.
Possibly the most uplifting film ever made about a time of unending violence, Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast radiates sincerity and warmth, even as its family are buffeted by grim events outside their front door and friction inside.
(1hr 38min)