Belfast

Year: 2001

Director:  Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay:  Kenneth Branagh

Starring:  Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, Jude Hill

Running Time:  97 minutes

Genre:  Drama

Belfast, 1969:  Nine year old Buddy (Hill) lives with his family in a close knit working-class Protestant neighbourhood.  One day rioters violently attack the homes of the few Catholic families that live on the street.  Buddy's father (Dornan) who works in England, and is only able to see his family once every two weeks, believes that Belfast is becoming too dangerous and wants the family to emigrate, however Buddy's mother (Balfe) doesn't want to leave her home and also doesn't believe they have the means, due to the family being under severe financial pressure.  As tensions escalate, both at home and on the street, Buddy is also preoccupied with the business of being a nine year old boy, playing football on the streets, reading comics, going to the beloved local cinema, and trying to get the seat next to the prettiest girl in class.

The film opens with colour images of present-day Belfast before moving back in time to a monochrome 1969, telling the story of growing up as The Troubles escalate.  The Troubles have featured in numerous films and television series, from The Crying Game (1992) and In the Name of the Father (1993) to Derry Girls (2018- ).  After the riot at the beginning of the film, the streets are barricaded and soldiers guard the area, also sinister local criminal Billy Clanton (played by Colin Morgan) demands that local residents join in the fighting, either actively or with money.  Buddy's father adamantly refuses to join, and Billy becomes increasingly threatening and violent.  However, the focus of the film is not really the Troubles, but Buddy and his family, in amongst all of the tension they live their lives, argue over money, share jokes, go to the cinema, and the children play in the streets.  The film is very funny, and often extremely moving.  There are fantastic performances from Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan as Buddy's parents, and warm performances from Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds as Buddy's loving grandparents.  Special mention however has to be given to newcomer Jude Hill who plays Buddy, and gives a wonderful performance.  The film is mostly in crisp black-and-white, however when Buddy goes to the cinema everything bursts into colour, which is a wonderful way of depicting the magic of film.  Kenneth Branagh, who wrote the script based on his own childhood experiences growing up in Belfast, is a prolific, if uneven, director, but he has made some excellent films and this is among his very best.

Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie in Belfast