Film - Belfast

The images of modern Belfast that open this film could have been taken from my phone photo album. I love the city and the film feels like a love letter to it, despite it being based around the Troubles., I’m immediately reminded of the memoir by Paul Ferris which I think was a few years later than this period.

Both stories show a love of the city and of course, it’s the people that make the city. Made by Kenneth Brannagh, Belfast is is based on his own story of how his parents had to make the difficult decision to leave the violence of the city behind and move to England. 

In Belfast, Pa is already working away in England and going back most weekends and so Buddy’s grandparents play a big part in his childhood. I love the classic grandfather who imparted wisdom at all the right times - just what young Buddy needed as he struggled with the thought of having to leave everything he’d known in Belfast for a safer life. I couldn’t help thinking the grandparents of 20/30 something-year-old parents were portrayed as unnecessarily old and frail until I remember this was 1969 and we aged differently then. Buddy’s vital relationship with his grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds) is also something we don’t see so much these days.

The trailer shows the absolute joy of this film but watching Belfast you see that is against the backdrop that everything can be ripped away from you with a single wrong decision. A walk down the wrong street, catching somone’s eye or being swayed by someone you look up to.

Belfast sparkles as a love story in so many different ways and young Jude Hill who plays the Buddy is sensational and wonderful to watch.

 8/10