Three Sisters
Lucy Caldwell and Anton Chekhov
Book
I don't know what it is I'm going to do but I'm going to do something. I'm going to be someone. I...
The Beautiful Game
Show
The Beautiful Game is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton about a group of teenagers...
Quietly
Book
Do you want to know why I'm here? Northern Ireland are playing Poland on the TV. Jimmy and Ian, two...
Captured by a Vision: A Memoir
Book
"...we are more than capable of transforming our own country."These are the words of an Irish...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Belfast (2021) in Movies
Jan 14, 2022
It's visual style is both stunning and simple, and is brimming with plenty of striking imagery.
It's themes are rich. The setting explores the civil unrest between Protestants and Catholics in 1960s Belfast. This turbulent moment in time is a constant presence for sure, but the main bulk of the narrative deals with a working class family who are struggling with debt, and are looking to potentially relocate to England in light of the city wide violence. The very heart of the story though is found in Buddy, the young son of the family who is dealing with growing up and not wanting to leave. Buddy's actor, Jude Hill, is excellent. He embodies innocent childhood and the adventure that comes with it. He's an 11 year old actor, holding his own against screen veterans such as Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench (both fantastic as always).
Other than Buddy, most of the heavy lifting is undertaken by the mother, played by Caitriona Balfe, who really deserves an Academy Nomination for her role here. Jamie Dornan also stars, who proved to be a pleasant surprise for me, only knowing him from the obvious, and is a welcome addition to an all round stellar cast. Throughout this, the narrative touches upon loss and loneliness, and the moments of life that manage to be bittersweet.
Belfast is a sometimes heartwarming, powerful, occasionally funny, and often melancholy tale told with a lot of love and care. Kenneth Branagh has delivered a slice of cinematic gold.
Lally the Scut
1.0
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Book
The child's down a hole, the mother's up to high doh, the town's up in arms and humanity's down the...
Mother Mother
10.0
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Book
One Saturday morning, TJ McConnell wakes up to find his mother, Mary, gone. He doesn't know where -...
Literary Fiction Belfast
Fire and Brimstone
Book
Peace time Belfast seems like the perfect spot for media billionaire's daughter Alison Wolff to...
David McK (3233 KP) rated Excavation in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Although it is in his usual pseudo sci-fi style of writing which I have no problem with, I don't know whether the reason I wasn't really that sold on this one is due to the rather ridiculous (even for him) plot devices used, that fact that it's not one of his Sigma Force novels (best described as scientists with guns) and so lacks that over-reaching plot strands that connects all those novels, or (more likely) that he seems to share the common American misconception of my home town of Belfast as being (almost) a bombed out Beirout. Choice lines include:
"Surviving among the constant gunfire and bombings between the warring Irish factions and the British military had taught Maggie O'Donnell the vlaue of a good hiding place"
"Maggie knew that expression. A childhood friend ... had worn that same shocked face when caught by a stray bullet during a firefight back in Belfast"
"Henry crossed in front of the man and knocked the rifle towards Maggie. 'You know how to use that?' / 'I'm from Belfast' she said, retreiving the gun"
I mean, really? I could understand it a bit better if the book was set during the 70s, or if she was described as being older, but for somebody who I got the impression was meant to be in her 30s?
If this had been the first James Rollins book I had read I don't think I would have bothered with any others! Thankfully, I had the good fortune to read one of his far-superior Sigma Force novels first instead and hope that this is just a momentary blip on his track record - I also read somewhere that this is one of his earlier novels which, perhaps, excuses some of the flimsy plot devices used.
Comprehensive Road Atlas Ireland
Book
Clear, detailed road atlas of Ireland in a handy A4 spiral-bound format. This comprehensive, general...