Belfast: a NIck Scott review

The history of the Irish Troubles of the late 1960s was a gritty and violent time . Strange then that the one of the best films about them sees it through the eyes of an innocent child. This was a wise thing for the director to do because the film retains its sense of realism while being very touching.

A lot of places on the internet describe it as a Comedy/Drama, but the comedy part is just due to the Irish factor, as they tend to live life in a very light, cheerful kind of way. It is more accurately described as a coming of age film about young boy just starting to find his place in a grown up world when suddenly that world is turned upside down. This is portrayed very well in the film which starts with the main character playing a kids game pretending to fight an imaginary foe, when suddenly the fighting becomes very real in the area where he lives.

It is often said that the most fascinating stories are true and this film is based on the story of how Kenneth Branagh’s parents left Belfast during the troubles. It really is very well poerformed and well acted. I didn’t cry but it was a close thing.

Nick Scott Nick Scott has a B.A from The University of Waikato where he studied film under Sam Edwards. Nick has retained a keen interest in cinema. He studied Te Reo Maori at Te Wananga O Aotearoa part-time for 3 years and then from 2014 to 2016 Nick collaborated in writing “The Traveller’s guide to Maori Place Names”. Nick is a regular Film Reviewer on ARTbop and has contributed an episodic novel “Temple’s Job”. Check out his recent short story Doppelganger Nick has a creative’s Q&A awaiting publication on ARTbop.