A Belfast Story

Newcomer Nathan Scott pens and directs A Belfast Story, a murder mystery that keeps one eye on the past as it questions the validity of the present day ceasefire.

After a number of high-ranking IRA members are discovered murdered in their Belfast homes, a hard-boiled ageing detective on the cusp of retirement (Colm Meaney) is called in to resolve the case quickly and quietly, for fear of such acts of menace disturbing the already fragile Northern Irish peace agreement.

From Neil Jordan’s psycho-thriller the Crying Game to the recent feel good Terri Hooley biopic Good Vibrations, the Troubles of Northern Ireland are regularly used as the springboard for films concerning themselves with "our wee country".

A Belfast Story recently gained some notoriety with the help of a rather controversial press kit containing a balaclava, a bag of nails and duct tape. Despite the outrage felt by a number of journalists and film critics, it was a bold move from the director who went on to explain that the film would “capture the weight and physicality of violence” experienced by this country during the years of conflict.
Sadly the film isn’t quite as bold in its execution.

The film opens with David Fincher inspired murder scene for our detective and the supporting “Northern Irish Police Service” to contend with. However as the plot deepens, any integral grittiness becomes a pipe dream. Most of the set pieces that follow are atypical Norn Irish clichés, as it resorts to shoot-outs, car bombs and even a rather awkward scene involving a fish supper.

Even Meaney’s usually reliable no-nonsense stern glare isn’t enough to give A Belfast Story the sharp edge that it so desperately craves. Save for the occasional, usually unnecessary philosophical reflection, his role in the film becomes reduced to nothing more than expositional.

Understandably, the film tries to argue that Northern Ireland will never find true peace until it is rid of the old guard; the shady ex-provos and the politicians entrusted to lead us into a brighter future despite their despicable pasts, all depicted by an expansive cast.

It all becomes quickly lost amidst hefty over-complicated dialogue, uninteresting characters and a diluted plot that could have been much braver in trying to stress its political convictions. If the film’s tagline states that, “someone always has to buy the last round,” it’s probably a safer option to save your money just in case that someone happens to be you.

By Leigh Forgie

A Belfast Story is showing at Movie House Cinema's now.