Branagh’s had an up-and-down filmography from the start (I have a soft spot for Dead Again), but this is clearly among his strongest films. He garners fantastic performances from novices and veterans alike (the film has earned nominations for vets Judy Dench and Ciaran Hinds), yet centers the movie on the performance of young Jude Hill. It’s through his eyes that we see the neighborhood and the talks with family members and friends but also the several bursts of violence that propel the family into its dilemma. 

Belfast deserves the Oscar nods it’s received but I was surprised it wasn’t nominated for cinematography. The film is artfully shot in black & white by Branagh’s frequent collaborator Haris Zambarloukos, with unique splashes of color thrown in to remind the characters that there’s life beyond all the turmoil. Compared to the many weak movies of the past couple of years, this is clearly a quality effort by someone with a personal investment in seeing it made with care and an authentic eye.

Shot digitally, the 1.85:1 aspect-ratio picture is beautiful to behold. The movie opens with modern shots of Belfast awash in color and then goes to black & white as it transitions to 1969. Black levels are deep and unlike most similar period movies. The images have an artful gleam, with no artificial grain introduced to fake traditional film, and have a smooth look throughout, with extraordinary detail at all levels, from the sharpness of fabrics to the richness of textures.  

When the characters go to see a movie, we’re shown what they’re watching in vivid color, and it’s an interesting juxtaposition (if not a bit showy). The HDR10 image displays strong contrast, with almost every frame transitioning from deep black to bright highlights of sunlight beaming through windows. Torches and other lighting effects pop off the screen and blacks are rich with fantastic delineation and shadow detail. This is a top-level video presentation, and the encode enhances the black & white in the way HDR has always promised.   

Also nominated for Sound, Belfast doesn’t disappoint here, either. This film doesn’t have strong dynamics or the kind of bass that will challenge a system, but it does have such a wonderfully natural and room-filling Dolby Atmos track that it’s shocking at times. You wouldn’t expect this type of movie to have an active object-based surround track, but the filmmakers made it a priority to immerse you in the neighborhood’s goings-on, and at that it succeeds immensely. 

Dialogue is natural and well placed in the center, and Atmos effects are almost constant when characters venture out into the streets. Belfast sounds like a contemporary movie but its period bent makes the well-recorded effects and surround mix stick out from time to time. Helicopters swarm overhead in a warm and full-bodied effect, fires burn from surrounds, and explosions burst from the main channels in a very modern way, much like the Van Morrison soundtrack. 

The music is the weakest element here, and by foregoing his usual collaboration with Patrick Doyle, Branagh missed out on tying the score to the moment emotionally. The Morrison tracks burst out almost at random, taking me out of the movie. Aside from that one gripe, this is a strong soundtrack that further enhances being pulled into the characters’ world, taking me by surprise with its warmth and inventiveness.