Movie Review – Belfast

Sometimes things things just fall into place in a nicely convenient way. I was part way through writing one of my short biography pieces, this time about Judi Dench. I’d seen quite a few of her films and a number of interviews with her on TV, usually thanks to Graham Norton! However, I hadn’t seen one of her latest…Belfast.  Then, totally out of the blue, comes an offer from those nice people at Apple. Believe it or believe it not it was a reduced price for…The 355! Oh, and Belfast.

I’ll be honest. I was in two minds about watching Belfast. You may be wondering why. After all, it’s written by Kenneth Branagh, he won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for it,  and it stars Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds. The reason why is that I remember the period of The Troubles. Saying The Troubles like that makes it sound rather like a few harsh words in a tea room. However, back then, there was no more chilling question than “Are you Protestant or Catholic?”

The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App

The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.

As seen on

Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)

     

Read more about the RunPee app.

I Didn’t Come Up The Loch In A Bubble

Belfast isn’t, I don’t think, a verbatim retelling of Kenneth Branagh’s childhood. Rather, it is a drama based on and featuring events that happened around him. However, there is, very probably, more than just a hint of actuality about the events depicted. I can say this because I can remember the news throughout the thirty plus years of The Troubles. During that time there were around fifty thousand casualties including over three and a half thousands fatalities.

The opening few minutes sets the scene perfectly. There are a couple of minutes of very high quality, full colour drone shots of modern day Belfast. We end up on one of the famous murals. Not one of the sectarian ones, but a celebration of working men. There is a pan up and, as we go over the wall, we’re told it is 15^th August 1969 and the pictures turn to black and white. We’re looking at a typical street full of children playing in the sunshine during the long summer holidays.

I’ve Had Too Much God For One Day

The children are running around playing hop scotch and other street games. They are all happy and laughing. There are some adults around enjoying the sunshine, and chatting with neighbours. Then, with no warning, a riot starts. At the end of the very same street where the children had been playing a group of men appear with scarves around their faces and are throwing bricks. A car is set on fire and rolled down the street. Windows are smashed and petrol bombs hit front doors. The whole episode is accompanied by shouting and screaming to get the Catholics out of the street.

Belfast turned out to be far more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. Yes, there were times when I was unsettled by seeing a reminder of those times but they were outweighed by the fun and exuberance shown by Jude Hill as Buddy, the character based on the young Kenneth Branagh. His relationships with his family, especially Granny (Judi Dench) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds), were a delight to watch. In short, the warmth and humour shown in the family interactions far outweigh the horrors of The Troubles.

Movie Grade: A

Movie Review – The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)

What people are saying
about the RunPee app.

dd33803, 07/05/2023

This is a great app. I wish more people would support it

This app provides info about movies, reviews, ratings from people who have seen it before and after viewing. It has links to info about the movies. It let’s you know when there will be a lull in the action and how long it will last. If you want to know what happens during that time, you can check the brief synopsis (you have to click a link, so no accidental spoilers). It has a timer you can set (silent) to alert you to a break. It also tells you whether there is anything extra during or after the credits. It’s really a wonderful app. I’ve subscribed for a couple of years to support the developers, but I noticed some of the links to provide feedback didn’t seem to work today. They also made it free, with voluntary donations to see the pee-times. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to do so, and subscribe if you like it. I really hope the app is supported so it can continue to be maintained!

Developers note: RunPee doesn’t make much money but it supports itself nicely. Donations are appreciated, but not required. We’ll add as many movies to the database as we can until there are no more movie theaters.

View all reviews: Apple App Store | Google Play Store

     

Movie Review – The Last Bus

Movie Review – Pixie

Rob Williams

Former teacher, lecturer, homelessness administrator, pharmacy dispenser now happily retired, happily married, and a very happy granddad. I live next to the Mersey but on the side Daniel Craig and Taron Egerton come from rather than the side the Beatles came from!