'Belfast' is inspired by writer/director Kenneth Branagh's childhood in that titular city during the "The Troubles" of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Waves of Catholic/Protestant violence that had been going on periodically for ages and didn't really stop until the late 1990's. The Branagh's were protestants, but tolerant people living in a mixed faith working class neighborhood.
Shot in black and white and told largely through the perspective of a nine year old Kenneth, played endearingly by Jude Hill, whose the lynchpin that makes the movie work. With a background of civil unrest, and family financial distress, young Kenneth, who goes by the nickname "Buddy" is just trying to grow up normally, playing with friends in the street, doing math homework, having his first crush on a girl (who turns out be Catholic) and watching a lot of movies.
This was a little something extra I quite liked in the film, we see Buddy watching movies on TV, he seems fond of westerns, or in the theater, where color movies are shown in color, again despite the reset of the thing (other then a short prolog, and latter play sequence) being in black and white. Given the course Buddy's life would take the emphasis on film and escape are apropos.
Solid supporting work, notably by Ciaran Hinds and Caitriona Balfe, but the whole cast is good. There is just a wonderful sense of the period and the juxtaposition between provincial concerns and matters of life and death is expertly handled and plays well. A wonderfully personal little love letter to the directors childhood home, for all it's problems. ****
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