Belfast
There are quite a few films this year that I did not hear about, nor did anyone hear about, until they came out and were freaked out over and called like the best film of the year. This is one of those films for me. For those who might not know, the film is about a boy’s life and experiences growing up in Belfast, Ireland; until the family decides to move to London to escape from the religious civil war going on in Belfast. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh. Ahem, if you didn't know, he was Gileroy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The story is based on his life and is a close, personal story to him. It makes me feel happy that this true story is getting all the recognition that it is, and I’m sure it makes Kenneth Branagh feel happy. It always feels good when other people recognize your story and appreciate it similarly to you.
First off, the thing that I found so interesting is that it was in black-and-white. “Why is it in black-and-white?” I wondered. “Does it need to be? Is the film telling me something by being in black-and-white?” From what I could gather, no. showing it in black-and-white was just an effect done to make the story seem like it was a long time ago and to make the setting seem like a distant land. The black-and-white effect didn’t do more to the film than that. I thought it was really, really neat, though how like the first ten seconds of the film were in color as the camera came onto the street where the majority of the film takes place. I also just like the effect that black-and-white has on a film. It adds a bit of artsy-ness to the film, which cinematographers evidently LOVE! I don’t get why just that one little feature makes such a big difference to cinematographers but it does, and it looks nice.
I thought the characters were all flushed out perfectly! I felt like I knew them. I guess that’s the benefit of Kenneth Branagh writing about his life, his family, his experiences. He knows all of those details intimately, which I guess in the long run, pays homage to the writing of each character. The performances in this were quite excellent. When I saw it, I had to stop and think about why it was good, after the fact, and I think I’ve figured it out. It is so great because it is subtle enough to allow the character writing to shine through. In case you couldn’t tell, I am obsessed with the character development in this film. I tend to think that children have an easier time giving excellent acting performances because they are able to “get out of their skin” and act like another person easier than adults.
Jamie Dornan as the dad is so great! He gives off the vibe of being the perfect dad. He seems like he is the dad that children idolize and look up to. The kind that has no faults and just does his thing and lives his life but is happy whenever he comes around. Judi Dench is great as the grandmother, too! The whole cast was great but these two are names that I know and would like to highlight. Whenever I think of Judi Dench
, I just think about how she was supposed to play the role of “Grizabella” in the London production of ”CATS” then tore her achilles tendon and had to quit, giving the iconic role to Elaine Paige. She just felt so welcoming and loving as the grandmother. I loved it! In, fact, the more I write about it, the more I love it. Go figure.
Well, go see Belfast. You might have to search to find a place to see it, but do it anyway. It’ll make you feel good, and isn’t that all we ever really want?
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