BELFAST

If, like me, you are unfamiliar with the motivations around The Troubles, don't expect to learn much more through 'Belfast'; the violent conflict is simply boiled down to "bloody religion" on multiple occasions by different characters. In fact, 'Belfast' uses Buddy's first-person perspective as a means to conveniently skirt around explaining the religious and political intricacies of the conflict, ultimately putting a strange distance between his family and this core conflict in his upbringing. With the exception of a few key sequences, 'Belfast' is shot in crisp, timeless black and white, perfectly preserving the past as it were. There's no imbuing of hindsight from an older Branagh, or trying to understand the conflict from different perspectives; the closest the film gets is Buddy eavesdropping into small sections of conversation between Ma, Pa and his grandparents Granny and Pop (Judi Dench, 'Artemis Fowl' and Ciarán Hinds, 'Zack Snyder's Justice League'). Instead, the film would rather slam the brakes on whatever narrative progression is occurring for, say, an unnecessary but admittedly charming musical number.

The reason 'Belfast' gets away with being so narratively slight is because of this undeniable charm; soundtracked exclusively by the soulful music of Belfast native Van Morrison, much of the tension-free second act feels engineered to generate acting nomination reels for its extremely talented adult cast. While many have already commended Hinds, Dench and Dornan for their great performances, Balfe is absolutely the strongest here - a headstrong woman determined to keep her family together. At its core, 'Belfast' is a film about love of many different kinds, but the most compelling of these is Buddy's bourgeoning love for the stage and screen. The theatre becomes a regular source of solace for Buddy and his family, highlighted by Branagh presenting these films and performances in colour.

After spending much of the 2010s as a major studio director-for-hire (these projects ranged from adequate to downright abysmal), it's a relief to see Branagh actually inspired by a project he clearly cares about, but 'Belfast' also suggests Branagh has developed a difficulty in sliding back his storytelling scale. For these previous projects, Branagh had been working with budgets of at least US$55 million - 'Belfast' was made for less than half of that at US$25 million - and the blockbuster filmmaking tendencies that slip into 'Belfast' muddle the tone of this otherwise very personal film. The staging of the riots, for example, as big action sequences, complete with an eleventh-hour save from Pa, feels far too polished. One could potentially chalk this up to Buddy's fondness for cinema impacting how he views the world, however this explanation feels just as implausible as the sequence of Ma marching Buddy back to a convenience store, mid-riot, to return a stolen box of laundry detergent.

'Belfast's' existence and execution make sense from a historical perspective; after spending the last two years in a global pandemic, many have used nostalgia (a tool weaponised now more than ever in Hollywood) to comfort them when the unpredictable future seems too much to bear. There is, however, a danger in thinking too fondly, too narrow-mindedly of the past, and in its very personal tone, 'Belfast' runs dangerously close to being a film for no one but Branagh himself.