Belfast

A modest life lived with love in turbulent times, family values and the difficult decision to make a major change. A feel-good view of old Belfast, from a three-generation family whose actors are a joy to spend time with, even if their story is only moderately interesting, even through the eyes of a young boy. Belfast is not a Shakespearean drama as you would expect from Kenneth Branagh, but merely a small autobiographical story from his childhood and a declaration of love for the films that he grew up on. Absolutely delicious black-and-white cinematography. (10/12/2021)

In frequent comparison to Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, Belfast cautiously wins because Kenneth Branagh doesn't try to cement his own experiences and perspective on the world as a monument or eternal truth. Like almost every similar gallery of memories, it relies on an emotional impact that is rather sensed and cautious, rather than being able to take one's heart. Every school hour, mischievous escapade, or laid-down backpack are just images from someone else's childhood and pale in comparison to any childhood adventure or mishap that the viewer themselves experienced. The best scene, of course, remains the oft-mentioned "Everlasting Love". If it were the final scene, I would let its power completely consume me and forget everything I have written so far in my review. (07/03/2022)

This movie wants to have a Roma aroma, even though it is not Roma, so then, what is it? It is Belfast. I can see why Kenneth Branagh wanted to make this into a movie, and I sincerely hope he is as happy as possible with the result because I cannot imagine anyone else will be. I have seen four movies today, and this one, while by far the shortest, felt the lengthiest. I did not find Branagh's nostalgic reminiscing about the backdrop, which is a Belfast cul-de-sac, captivating at all. As I continued watching, I gradually became more and more limited to simply look for one particular trailer scene. However, when Jamie Dornan finally starts singing "Everlasting Love", it was not even really worth it. (25/12/2021)

As Kenneth Branagh's autobiographical account of his childhood, Belfast does not deny its academic ambitions, and given the nature of the subject matter, one cannot blame the director. Although the film depicts difficult times, it is made with endearing lightness and humour. The black-and-white format suited the seemingly grim theme perfectly, while the opening colour sequence made a nice advertisement for Belfast. I commend the camera work, especially in terms of the planning of shots, and I liked the inclusion of the immortal song Everlasting Love, as well as a few direct visual references to period films. Of the cast, the grandparents, played by Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds, were by far the most memorable to me, but the performance of young Jude Hill is also worth mentioning. I believe that audiences who have lived through this (or similar) periods will find Belfast more appealing than I did - I took it primarily as a nicely filmed and acted one-watch flick. (01/03/2022)