DALLAS — BELFAST
Thank goodness writer/director Kenneth Branaugh decided to get nostalgic during the pandemic lockdown! He has given film lovers a true gift with "Belfast." Based on his own childhood experience during the Protestant/Catholic conflict in the late 1960s (known as 'The Troubles'), it's told through the eyes of a 9-year-old boy. He's played with just the right touch of dare by newcomer Jude Hill. We don't necessarily get the big political picture but how the issue affects this one family and their neighborhood. Jamie Dornan ("50 Shades of Grey") plays the boy's dad, "Pa." He works for long stretches of time out of town and wants to move his family away to a better life. Caitriona Balfe ("Outlander") plays his wife, "Ma," stuck in the middle. Both are absolutely wonderful and not just because they're from Northern Ireland, themselves. Equally great are the grandparents played by Dame Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds. Need I say more.
Branaugh's screenplay is incredibly heartfelt, spiced with terrific wit. The boy's crush on a classmate (he's Protestant, she's Catholic) is precious. The black & white cinematography, impeccable. (Color is used only for current times and when movies and live theater captivate the boy's imagination.) The expected strains of Van Morrison are heard often, but two scenes when the grandparents dance impromptu to a song from "Camelot" and when Pa serenades his wife with "Everlasting Love" at a lively wake will stay with you for days. This film will fill all the categories when it comes to Oscar nominations. I love it! You will, too.
(Focus Features. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 37 mins. In Theaters Only)
PASSING
Actress Rebecca Hall also went with black & white cinematography in her debut as a feature writer/director. "Passing" is about two light-skinned black women in the 1920s. Irene is played by Tessa Thompson, Clare by Ruth Negga. The old friends reunite by chance in New York City and in a world where Clare is passing herself off as white. Even her racist husband, played by Alexander Skarsgard, believes it. Negga explains it's not a rejection of blackness but a way to survive, certainly a way for her character to enjoy all the trappings of wealth. But is it enough? Soon she becomes a frequent visitor to Irene's home in Harlem and begins to enjoy escaping to her world, including the vibrant social life.
Hall, a really fine actress, does a lovely job her first time out in these new roles. You definitely absorb the period feels and also feel the weight on Irene's shoulders. She tries to protect her sons from the realities of racism (her husband wants them to learn from), and she tries to help Clare keep her secret.
(Netflix. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 38 mins. In Theaters and Streaming On Netflix)
THE SOUVENIR: PART II
This is one sequel that you really should see the original to fully appreciate. In "The Souvenir," a film student played by Honor Swinton Byrne, loses her older boyfriend to heroin addiction. Part II picks up right afterwards as she navigates her grief while trying to figure out her future. That involves spending time at her parents' country home, her real life mother, Tilda Swinton, playing her mom perfectly, as you'd assume. Soon she pursues her student film with plenty of negative feedback from fellow students and a visiting director, played with arrogance by Richard Ayoade. Will she persevere to achieve the film she's worked so hard on, one that ends up reflecting what she's been through? Joanna Hogg wrote and directed both of these. They are indie gems, but not films that a casual moviegoer would slip into with ease.
(A24. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 47 mins. In Theaters Only)
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG
You know "Clifford The Big Red Dog" from beloved children's books, now he has his own feature-length live action movie. A New York City girl, who's having a tough time with bullies at school, comes across a pet adoption tent. Little does she know it's run by a magic man (John Cleese with a glint in his eye). A puppy she spots follows her home in her backpack, and before you know it, he's grown ten-feet tall, because that's what every New York apartment needs, a gigantic pet! Oh, and of course, he's red, so easy to blend in! The girl's Uncle Casey happens to be in charge of her at the time. He's played by the charming Jack Whitehall, who recently played Emily Blunt's brother in "Jungle Cruise." All sorts of hijinks ensue. This is nice family entertainment with a message about big love and standing up to bullies. Parents could sit through a lot worse.
(Paramount Pictures. Rated PG. Running Time 1 hr. 37 mins. In Theaters and Streaming on Paramount+)
