Untroubled

Kenneth Branagh's latest film, Belfast, has its roots in The Troubles which increasingly dominated his childhood in the 1960s in his native city. Given that reality, it's easy to see why he chose to present the work largely from the perspective of the child that he was then. That perspective steers it away from being turgid or overly dramatic or triggering the kind of visceral responses that many of these films often fall victim to (see: In the Name of the Father.) But it's worth questioning whether his touch was so light and the story so goodhearted that it missed the chance to deliver its message with the impact that he, perhaps, was hoping for.

First and foremost, the performances are excellent and they're what truly carry the film, beyond any considerations for plot or history. Jude Hill (Buddy), who was all of nine when the film was shot (in other words, just about the same age as Branagh when the Troubles kicked into high gear), is a delight. Even at the point where one could accuse him of overacting, he does so in situations when almost all children would overact (expressing surprise, showing obvious distaste for something, etc.), so it seems perfectly natural. And that's really the key here: all of these actors (with one exception) seem perfectly natural in their roles. These aren't actors playing inhabitants of Belfast. They are inhabitants of Belfast. And in many cases, this is almost the literal truth, as Branagh went to some effort to cast mostly Northern Irish actors- and, in many cases, Belfast natives -to fill the roles. They act like this is their home because it basically is their home. That one exception is Colin Morgan, who plays Unionist Billy Clanton, and that may be a factor of the part he was given, more than any lack of capability on his part, as he spends most of his screen time giving grandiloquent speeches about why Buddy's "Pa" (Jamie Dornan) should join their efforts to drive out their Catholic neighbors, rather than the more subtle chats on the stoop or in the neighborhood pub that were the regular paths of recruitment. He's the one local who carries the story into a broader scope than what could be seen as the petty disagreements of said locals, until you incorporate the presence of British troops. Billy takes the story past the child's perspective/coming-of-age tale that otherwise suffuses everything. That's not necessarily a flaw, as it was a larger situation with roots hundreds of years in the past, but it just loses that veneer of "naturalness" when that character is involved.

Both Ciarán Hinds (another Belfast native) and Dame Judi Dench (hidden behind an impressive amount of makeup and daunting spectacles) are excellent as Buddy's grandparents; doling out sage advice as if they'd lived in the world, rather than having been handed a script. Likewise, Caitriona Balfe, as "Ma", plays an excellent, harried mother, trying to protect her children in the midst of chaos and the frequent lack of a partner/husband, but displaying just as obviously how devoted she is to him when they are able to enjoy life together. (The dancing scene at the local hall is a particular highlight.) I'm spending a lot of time talking about those performances because, again, the do make the film. The story really isn't much to speak of past the usual "here's daily life as a 9-year-old in unusual circumstances" approach and me, being Story Guy, would usually be hung up on that point. But it doesn't matter as much here, since you're so preoccupied with watching these people live their lives amidst the new life of barricades, riots, and soldiers on what used to be a pretty mundane street in Belfast which is, of course, exactly the point.

Branagh took care to spend time on the details, which is no different from most of his other films, citing the type of candy he might've been talked into swiping as a kid but which he didn't really like, as well as using Belfast native(!) Van Morrison for much of the soundtrack, including a new track composed just for the film. It won't deliver profound insights or give a new perspective on The Troubles (there are many, many other ways to do that, if you're interested. And you should be.), but it will give you a look into life as it often was and from the standpoint of a bunch of actual humans caught in a situation that almost none of them wanted, especially the small humans. Despite the lack of intriguing story, definitely recommended.