It's clear from the opening tourism video brochure that Branagh means to charm us. Perhaps it's the repeated use of the tunes of now dementia-riddled Van Morrison, but I was distinctly un-charmed by much of Belfast. The photography is gorgeous, the performances are wonderful, and the story is ultimately sweet and touching, however the film doesn't really have a strong narrative drive as "The Troubles" are more of a background element, and the primary story is whether or not the family should leave. Given that we know Branagh's family left, it's hardly a cliffhanger.
Shame, because it is a lovely looking film with great performances. I just didn't care for the script.
That scene with Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin was amazing. And the one with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly wasn't bad either.
In all seriousness, it’s fine. A very disneyfied take on the Troubles. In terms of the child perspective during difficult times, it’s not as creative as Boorman’s Hope and Glory.
Roma it ain't. I love Van Morrison but the songs are a bit too constant and jarring. The word "maudlin" came to mind. But all in all not a bad experience.
If you didn't figure out Grandpa would die as soon as they mentioned he had to go to the hospital (first scene he was on), I envy your lack of movie-going experience
I don't know whether most of this movie was shot on a set or not. I would say, I damn well hope they did shoot it on a set, because shooting on location and somehow making it look like a set, is a spectacular failure on its own that I do not initially want to credit Branagh with. Set or not, however, the town feels dead and tinny. In most scenes, it feels very much like a simple theater setup shot. That is not cinema. The b/w cinematography is at both times gorgeous and amateurish. The cinematographer is an absolute hack that has no business working in the industry. There is nothing imaginative or inventive about it. Hitchcock did it better in the 40s and 50s and I'd like to think we've evolved in the past 70 years, but not in the mind of talentless Haris Zambarloukos who has done nothing of note in his 25 year career.
Kenneth Branagh's impressions of his own childhood, fictionalized in Belfast, provide a strong mix of drama (the city becoming a battleground between Protestants and Catholics) and comedy (there are a lot of fun character moments) with the good dose of space race nostalgia for older audiences, and mythical distortions caused by the child's point of view/movie magic. It's all heading for a touching finish, largely laid at the feet of Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds, though the film wouldn't work if young Jude Hill wasn't as engaging as he is. In short order, Branagh makes you fall in love with his old street and its people, whether they stuck around despite the troubles, or were forced to leave, examining his own sense of belonging to a place and time (and thus, ours), with an interesting use of color where he shows his hand in terms of Buddy being his stand-in. If this is Branagh's sweet take on Roma, it's one that's more likely to please general audiences.
Possibly the best film of 2021. Shot in precise and imaginative black & white, Kenneth Branagh's look at a family caught in the beginning of the Troubles left me with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Every performance is spot-on, and every turn of the plot fits like a puzzle piece. 10/10
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Comments 1 - 11 of 11
frankqb
It's clear from the opening tourism video brochure that Branagh means to charm us. Perhaps it's the repeated use of the tunes of now dementia-riddled Van Morrison, but I was distinctly un-charmed by much of Belfast. The photography is gorgeous, the performances are wonderful, and the story is ultimately sweet and touching, however the film doesn't really have a strong narrative drive as "The Troubles" are more of a background element, and the primary story is whether or not the family should leave. Given that we know Branagh's family left, it's hardly a cliffhanger.Shame, because it is a lovely looking film with great performances. I just didn't care for the script.
3.5 stars out of 5
baraka92
That scene with Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin was amazing. And the one with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly wasn't bad either.In all seriousness, it’s fine. A very disneyfied take on the Troubles. In terms of the child perspective during difficult times, it’s not as creative as Boorman’s Hope and Glory.
ucuruju
Roma it ain't. I love Van Morrison but the songs are a bit too constant and jarring. The word "maudlin" came to mind. But all in all not a bad experience.boulderman
Great dialogue and story of a little refined/focused/narrow.Recommend
Nuked
I don't know whether most of this movie was shot on a set or not. I would say, I damn well hope they did shoot it on a set, because shooting on location and somehow making it look like a set, is a spectacular failure on its own that I do not initially want to credit Branagh with. Set or not, however, the town feels dead and tinny. In most scenes, it feels very much like a simple theater setup shot. That is not cinema. The b/w cinematography is at both times gorgeous and amateurish. The cinematographer is an absolute hack that has no business working in the industry. There is nothing imaginative or inventive about it. Hitchcock did it better in the 40s and 50s and I'd like to think we've evolved in the past 70 years, but not in the mind of talentless Haris Zambarloukos who has done nothing of note in his 25 year career.Siskoid
Kenneth Branagh's impressions of his own childhood, fictionalized in Belfast, provide a strong mix of drama (the city becoming a battleground between Protestants and Catholics) and comedy (there are a lot of fun character moments) with the good dose of space race nostalgia for older audiences, and mythical distortions caused by the child's point of view/movie magic. It's all heading for a touching finish, largely laid at the feet of Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds, though the film wouldn't work if young Jude Hill wasn't as engaging as he is. In short order, Branagh makes you fall in love with his old street and its people, whether they stuck around despite the troubles, or were forced to leave, examining his own sense of belonging to a place and time (and thus, ours), with an interesting use of color where he shows his hand in terms of Buddy being his stand-in. If this is Branagh's sweet take on Roma, it's one that's more likely to please general audiences.Emiam
6+/10Lidingö FilmStudio.
chunkylefunga
Interesting but it didn't really explain the troubles to people that don't know British history,yellowslug
A disgrace.Ray Anselmo
Possibly the best film of 2021. Shot in precise and imaginative black & white, Kenneth Branagh's look at a family caught in the beginning of the Troubles left me with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Every performance is spot-on, and every turn of the plot fits like a puzzle piece. 10/10csarica
Amazing movie. Only issue here is that why people are giving very low ratings in IMDB to such great movies nowadays.