Kenneth Branagh
Belfast

THE REVIEW

Contrary to my usual habits, I watched this film without first researching it, so I had absolutely no idea what it was about, and even less did I know it was an autobiographical film. Yet, as I continued watching, I realized that there was something personal in the film. I also understood that the events of the Northern Ireland conflict, which served as the backdrop to the story, despite their dramatic nature, were only a part of the story that the director (and screenwriter) wanted to tell. Most likely, even if there hadn't been a war, the director's family would have emigrated to England anyway. Or the film could have taken place in another city with different issues: Palermo during the time of mafia killings or Rome during the time of the Red Brigades, just to give a few examples. In other words, the child protagonist of the film seems to cope better with the war than with the typical problems of his age and those of his family, mainly related to his father's job, which will eventually lead them to move. In reality, the unrest worries the parents more, due to the potential physical harm, than the child, who is more concerned with understanding the real difference between the beliefs of Protestants and Catholics, something that could hinder his relationship with his little girlfriend. In the end, he will come to understand, helped by his father, that the difference either doesn't exist, or, if it does, it's not something worth fighting over. The figures of the grandparents are well outlined, and with their wisdom, they help to comfort the child. I do not venture into technical judgments on cinematography and editing, but the film seems very well made, and the story unfolds at the right pace, without drops in tension and without excessive distress in the most dramatic moments. Allow me, however, a mention of the film's soundtrack, balanced and discreet, embellished by "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair, a song I hadn't heard for an immemorial time.