Film Review: “Belfast”

You can’t go home again, but you can make a mediocre movie about it

Buddy (Jude Hill) plays in the streets of his beloved Belfast.

Writer/director Kenneth Branagh, best known for his Shakespeare adaptations, turns his attention from the Elizabethan era to late 1960s Northern Ireland in his new film Belfast. The time and place offer as much drama and conflict as anything by the Bard, but Branagh’s nostalgic film, a black and white period piece based on his own boyhood, feels lightweight and forgettable despite its dramatic context.

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Mill Valley Film Festival Spotlights

Film fans can relish eclectic offerings at 36th MVFF

There's something for everyone at the MVFF opening Thursday.
There’s something for everyone at the MVFF, which opens on Thursday.

The 36th Mill Valley Film Festival opens this Thursday, October 3, and runs until Sunday, October 13. The Festival is featuring early views of some hotly anticipated fall films, including August: Osage County, Nebraska (opening night film), Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, among others. Here at Spinning Platters, though, we thought we’d spotlight some of the lower profile films that may not be getting as much attention. Full schedule, tickets, and more information available at: http://mvff.com

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