Kenneth Branagh was born in Belfast, Ireland, to a working class family. When he wrote and directed the film Belfast, he turned to his own childhood as inspiration. Born in the 1960s, he and his family moved to England when “The Troubles” got to be too much to handle in Belfast. More or less “religious wars” plagued the country, and that is reflected in the heartfelt movie.

Buddy (a charming, loveable 9-year-old actor named Jude Hill) is growing up in strife-laden Belfast, home of his family for decades. It’s where everybody knows everybody else, and they live on the same streets and neighborhoods as one. But that all comes to a screeching halt when instigators turn Protestants against Catholics and vice versa. Sadly, they had all been neighbors for years and it caused great turmoil and heartbreak. 

Buddy tries to understand what is happening and to accept his dad’s going off to England every few weeks to find work. Pa, played by young and handsome Jamie Dornan, really wants to leave Ireland, but he has a hard time convincing his wife. Ma, played by Caitriona Balfe, loves her town, all the neighbors, and is reluctant to leave any family members. She’s a hard nut to crack, but the actress is so good at expressing her fears and frustrations she should win some awards.

The fabulous Judi Dench (my favorite British actress) plays the grandmother and Ciaran Hines ,as Buddy’s grandfather ,are lovely together. The two veterans give aspiring actors a great lesson on how to dominate the screen without using dialogue.

The story breaks your heart to see hatred destroying whole towns in Ireland at the time. Young Jude Hill is an extraordinary actor and really carries the picture. Big things will be in store for the fledgling thespian.

One caution: The accents are so thick one needs to enroll in a Berlitz Language course to understand a lot of the dialogue. Click on the subtitles button when streaming. Otherwise, you might be challenged to understand what in the world is happening on the screen.

AWARDS: The film has been nominated 114 times and picked up 26 wins from various critics groups, including AFI Awards, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, British Independent Film Awards, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, Chicago, Detroit Film Critics, Golden Globes, Hollywood Critics Association, London Critics Circle Film Awards, National Board of Review, USA, New York Film Critics, Online, Palm Springs International Film Festival 2022, Satellite Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards  and many more.

 (Released by Focus Features and rated “PG-13” for some violence and strong language.)