Belfast

 Belfast
Starring Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench
Directed by Kenneth Branagh

We all come from somewhere, and for better or worse, that has helped shape us into the people we are today. Our culture, our heritage, our hometown, and our family all mold us from the inside out, and along with education and life experience, formulates the person we've become and who we will continue to become. To overlook the past means you're doomed to repeat the patterns of it, but to reminisce and remember it will give you a deep sense of emotional connectivity that you'd miss out on otherwise. It's through this lens that acclaimed director Kenneth Branagh brings "Belfast" - a movie that depicts his own life growing up in the tumultuous time known as The Troubles which pitted the citizens of Belfast against one another due to their religious upbringing - Protestant or Catholic. It was a battle that lasted for thirty years and resulted in many deaths, and many more people who abandoned their homeland in favor of salvation elsewhere, as well as strengthening those who remained and managed to evade the violence.

Buddy (Jude Hill) is a nine-year-old boy living in Belfast and whose only cares in the world are eating sweets, pining for the smart Catholic girl in school, and spending time with his loving family, but he also finds himself deeply immersed in The Troubles in Belfast, as his road is blocked off and riots occur frequently, pitting Protestants against Catholics and forcing everyone to choose a side. Ma (Caitronia Balfe) keeps trying to maintain a sense of calm but also serves as the man of the house as Pa (Jamie Dornan) spends days on end in England for work. She tries to protect Buddy but also showcases strength and resolve as she considers Belfast her home, and she doesn't want to give up on it. Buddy also enjoys spending time with his Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Granny (Judi Dench), who both grew up in Belfast as well and offer sage wisdom as well as light-hearted quips at each others' expense. When Pa is offered a full-time job in England, he wants to relocate the family there, but Ma and Buddy want to stay in Belfast because it's their home, no matter how violent it gets.

Back in the late nineties I went to Belfast on two occasions, and I witnessed firsthand the waning time of The Troubles as we found ourselves on the dividing line between the Protestant and Catholic strongholds, and witnessed violence firsthand. I can't imagine enduring this for decades, but that's what Buddy and his family - and countless others - did. "Belfast" does an excellent job at depicting these troubles through the lens of a nine-year-old boy who doesn't fully comprehend what is happening, and offers a youthful innocence to the story that otherwise would've been lost in a straight-up adult style film. While he witnesses the violence around him, it's often through the peripheral, as his most urgent concerns deals with trying to woo the smart girl in school with some unconventional advice from his Pop. It's equal parts heartwarming and tragic, as Buddy just wants to be a kid but finds himself caught in the struggle as local thugs demand his Pa to pick a side.  He adores Belfast and everything the town offers him, but he also knows it's a dangerous place - but he doesn't want to give up on it.

In telling the story through the lens of a child, Branagh gives us the best of both worlds - we witness the violence occurring but it's not overbearing, as we also sense the familial tension as Pa wants to relocate the family for their safety, while Ma wants to stay in Belfast because it's their home, and Buddy finds himself thrust in the middle. It's more than any nine-year-old should endure, but unfortunately that's how life works sometimes. Yet there's also lighthearted moments such as when the family attends the theater for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and we also get to see the deep, sincere love that Ma and Pa have for each other, as well as Pop and Granny. Despite their struggles and differing ideals, they're a family, and they stick together as a family for good and ill.

The role of Buddy is played by Jude Hill, a newcomer that showcased an acting prowess wise beyond his young years, already cementing himself as a future child actor to look out for as long as he can remain on the straight and narrow and not fall into the pitfalls of previous child actors. Caitorina Balfe shines as Ma, who is forced to play the doting wife, loving mother, and mama grizzly all at once, as she protects her son from thrown rocks with a trash can lid and also teaches him the morals of not stealing from the local candy store. Jamie Dornan continues to impress me after his abysmal "Fifty Shades" franchise as Pa, the classic working man who spends all week out of town working and spending every minute of the weekend with his family, working to create a better world for his family. Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench shine as Pa and Granny, who both exude Belfast pride and also unconditional love for one another. Despite their jabbing and jokes at each others' expense, you sense the deep, committed love they feel for each other that's lasted through the decades, and also their love for their city. Dench in particular glows radiantly as Granny, and whom should easily earn some awards recognition this year.

Branagh decided to show the film in black and white, most notably because it gives off the feel of nostalgia, as we often remember things in black and white as opposed to living color. It highlights the values of the past and offers a more intimate look into his life as a child, and clearly is also his most personal film to date. To that end, he gives careful attention to every detail, and offers insights into the world he grew up in that most people never knew about. While it's not as sweeping as other black-and-white stories like "Roma," it has its own charm and style that makes it endearing and comforting even though the landscape is brittle with violence and turmoil.

Proving you can still go home again at least in your mind, "Belfast" is a celebration of the past we grew up in as well as how it shapes us and how we see the world, even though it's far from perfect, it's ultimately our home.

The Score: A+