Warming the heart through troubled times.

Film is, and always will be, a collaborative medium, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be deeply personal. In fact, it’s probably at its best when it is.

Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with huge movies with hundreds, if not thousands, of collaborators pulling together to get the job done, however, when a film is so personal you can feel its creator’s soul emanating from the screen, it takes things to a whole new level.

To watch a filmmaker dig deep for a story is what cinema is all about, and while such a personal approach won’t always successfully translate to the screen, when it’s done right, there’s nothing else like it.

As the streets of late-60s Belfast erupt around him, nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) must chart a path into adulthood amidst a world turned upside down. With his once stable, loving community and everything he knew changed forever; Buddy’s world will never be the same again. Yet, through family, friendship, and the formative power of movies, there remains hope.

Considering the film sets itself up as a semi-autobiographical account of Kenneth Branagh’s formative years, it’s really no surprise that Belfast is by far the filmmaker’s most personal work to date. From beginning to end, Branagh puts absolutely all he’s got into the story, and you can feel it in every single frame.

The result is a story that positively hums with love and an infectious, warm-hearted affection. For some, Branagh’s emotional connection to the story may shroud Belfast in a rose-tinted glow, however, the sheer power of this personal connection ensures an authenticity that elevates it above its potentially overly nostalgic trappings.

Despite the Troubles and the monumental horrors exploding around him, there’s an intimate, low-key energy to Buddy’s story and a charming fervour in his approach to these external terrors that will warm your very soul. Consequently, a film that could’ve easily struggled to work with its conflicting tones, succeeds precisely because of them.

Sure, there’s an inherent sentimentality to the story, yet, with a deft touch and a deep understanding of the characters and their world, Branagh avoids over cooking things. This is a story told exclusively from the perspective of a nine-year-old child, and while Branagh doesn’t shy away from the inherent darkness of the Troubles, he smooths the edges just enough to put us in Buddy’s shoes without undermining the severity of the situation.

Shot in beautifully rendered black and white with just the occasional splash of colour, Belfast is absolutely gorgeous to look at, as Branagh puts everything he’s got into bringing his childhood memories to life. Bringing the heightened energy of a musical and mixing it with hints of Cinema Paradiso, Bicycle Thieves, and Kes, Belfast brings with it an irresistible childlike verve that pops off the screen and lands straight in your heart.

With wonderfully crafted camerawork, lively editing, and a cracking soundtrack, Branagh turns what could’ve been a dour, overearnest biopic into a sweet, amiable tale with an energy not normally associated with the director’s work. In a filmography that’s gone from Shakespeare to Thor to Poirot to Artemis Fowl, it’s fair to say that Branagh has never truly carved out a distinctive directorial voice for himself, yet there’s a verve and a personality to Belfast that shows he clearly has it in him to turn on the style when necessary.

Around this, the film’s plot is a relatively simple one that never ventures too far outside its coming-of-age comfort zone, yet uses this simplicity to its advantage. While certainly heightened, there’s an organic approach to Belfast that never professes to be anything other than the snapshot of one young boy’s life as he fumbles his way through adolescence, even in the toughest of circumstances.

The film absolutely benefits from this low-key, kitchen sink approach, as it refuses to shy away from the hatred and violence surrounding Buddy, yet filters it through a childlike perspective that rarely ventures further than his immediate surroundings. The result gives Belfast a universal appeal and a deeply personal feel, all filtered through a distinctive sense of time and place.

And make no mistake, as the name suggests, Belfast’s location is its beating heart. The film buries itself in its community, making sure to put both Buddy’s immediate family and his extended one at its core, both literally and figuratively barricading us in with this tightknit, yet fractious, neighbourhood.

With a level of wholesome sincerity you rarely see from a major Oscar-skewing release, Belfast is an ode to its ensemble and to the cast of characters that formed the backbone of Kenneth Branagh’s youth. As such, the film is an affectionately penned love letter, not only to the people that moulded the filmmaker, but to the era that helped define him.

From the Van Morrison-stuffed soundtrack to the tightly packed rows of two-up-two-downs, Belfast certainly comes complete with all the trappings of its era, yet it’s the turmoil of the Troubles that really embed the film in its period. This is Branagh’s ode to the Belfast of his early years, however, it’s one tinged with sadness, as the pain, loss, and hardships of the time threaten to overwhelm the story at any moment.

Supporting this, Belfast’s cast are impeccable across the board. In a tightknit ensemble, Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe lead the line as Buddy’s parents, turning in career-highlight performances full of charm and unassuming power, transforming what could’ve been cliched, one-dimensional parental figures into something far more satisfying.

Alongside them, the seasoned figures of Dame Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds are the film’s moral and emotional core. As seems fitting for the story, neither’s part is overly ostentatious, yet both make every second of screen time count, offering some of Belfast’s most memorable and poignant moments in the process.

Together, they form wonderfully solid support, not only for Buddy as a character, but for the young lad who portrays him. As with any coming-of-age tale, it ultimately sinks or swims on the strength of its central performance, and through eleven-year-old Jude Hill, Belfast truly comes to life.

It’d be very easy for a young performer to wilt under the pressure of being the focus of such a personal story, yet Hill takes it all in his stride with a carefree energy and a youthful charisma that lifts the entire thing. Full to the brim with an infectious, cheeky charm, Hill’s performance is crucial to Belfast’s success and has us fully invested in Buddy’s journey throughout.

While its cast is a compact one, Belfast is every inch the ensemble effort, with both the central family and the wider community around them pulling in the same direction. The ensemble surrounding Buddy is certainly small, but it has a huge heart, as the friends and family that form this corner of Belfast instil the film with an uplifting spirit and a glowing sense of togetherness.

And this is ultimately what Belfast is about. Not without some political message (what story set during the Troubles wouldn’t have one?), the film never allows its heart to be overshadowed. Fear, pain, and loss certainly bob around the edges of Buddy’s story, constantly threatening to invade it, yet filtered through his perspective, and with cinema, theatre, music, and even comic books all offering an escape, Kenneth Branagh paints a striking picture of youth and youthful exuberance despite all the hatred and violence.

With Kenneth Branagh digging deep, Belfast is a mood-boosting memoir and a strikingly personal project for its writer-director. Wistful and uplifting despite the story’s inherent tragedies, Belfast keeps its coming-of-age narrative simple, yet transcends this with powerful performances, character, and a level of directorial craft that Branagh has rarely showcased before. A triumph of dreams and optimism in the face of seemingly unending violence, Belfast’s memories may be rose-tinted, but the film’s warmth and heart are a welcome blast of brightness in similarly dark times.