Post by Brother Fease on May 17, 2022 21:18:52 GMT
Yesterday I finally, finally got to watch Belfast. Very good film for the record. The cast was great. Branagh did a great work with the script and directing. I especially liked how he handled the riot scenes and the final sequence. Also, Branagh's choice to tell the story from the child's pov was pretty interesting. I just love all the camera angle choices he made. My only complaint is that the movie was too short. I wanted to know more about Buddy and his family. Among the Best Picture nominees I have seen (West Side Story and Drive My Car still to be seen), Belfast would be anywhere between #2-4.
I find it curious that out of all the performances, the Academy picked Hinds and Dench. Both terrific and no complaints, but they picked the least showiness and the least screen time. Honestly I thought Dornan and Balfe gave the better of the performances. The scenes with Ma and Pa talking to each other were very moving and memorable. Balfe's handling of the riot scenes were great. My favorite scene had to be where Pa throws the brick.
My theory is that the Academy left off Balfe because they saw her as lead rather than supporting. I believe there was a branch of the Academy which saw her as leading, as in, the story was about the single mom trying to raise two boys and deal with her husband finding employment in a war-torn city. Otherwise, I have no idea why you would leave Balfe off the list. I am sorry, but that's just a brilliant performance and career-making.
