Kenneth Branagh writes and directs his best film in years in this semi-autobiographical film about his hometown of Belfast. Shot in black and white with bursts of imaginative colour, it follows a Protestant family, particularly young Buddy – a great natural performance from Jude Hill as he and his parents, played by Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe, and elder brother Lewis Macaskie get caught up in rising sectarian violence.

This is no grim document of the troubles however, it is warm, human and empathetic, a child’s eye view of the growing turbulence, shot through with magical moving moments. Ciaran Hinds is superb as Buddy’s warm-hearted irascible grandfather, along with Judi Dench’s grandmother, all dealing with the change in the landscape. An escape is offered from the escalation, be it moving to Australia or England, and as Jamie Dornan’s dad becomes the focus of Colin Morgan’s vengeful would-be paramilitary, a decision has to be made.

Lovingly made and shot, Belfast is both a love letter to Branagh’s home town and a snapshot of the sacrifices and violence of 1969 set to a Van Morrison soundtrack. Trips to the cinema and the theatre burst with colour, the power of entertainment as an escape formative in Buddy – the pseudo-Branagh, who also has a fledgling and sweet crush on a girl in his class with a head for maths. Dornan is likeable and tortured as the tax-dodging, debt-riddled father, and even shows off his singing, whilst the stoic Balfe rules the roost at home, trying to cope as her husband spends time away from Belfast labouring.

The city is lovingly captured by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, while Branagh manages to switch seamlessly from light to dark and gets superb performances from all of his cast. So much better than the director’s work on soulless overblown blockbusters, Belfast is personal, delightful and moving.

Dir: Kenneth Branagh (12A) (98 mins)

Out in cinemas on Fri 21 Jan

words KEIRON SELF