Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds savor their moments in ‘Belfast’

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — In Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” a black-and-white, heartfelt memory piece told largely from the perspective of the filmmaker as a boy, the tension outside on the streets weighs on a young family. The semi-autobiographical film is set in a very specific time and place, 1969 during sectarian strife, but rich in the broadly felt struggles and bonds of family. And while “Belfast” is grounded first and foremost in Caitríona Balfe’s young mother, Jamie Dornan’s father and their youngest son, Buddy (Jude Hill), the film’s most soulful evocations of family come from the grandparents. In scenes warm with reflection, wisdom and humor, Dench and Ciarán Hinds play Granny and Pop, the heartbeat of “Belfast.” The film opened in theaters Friday.