A Belfast Story

A Belfast Story
Directed byNathan Todd
Written byNathan Todd
Produced byJohn Todd
StarringColm Meaney
CinematographyPeter Holland
Edited byJohn Wright
Music byNick Glennie-Smith
Mac Quayle
Release date
  • 20 September 2013 (2013-09-20)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryNorthern Ireland
LanguageEnglish

A Belfast Story is a 2013 Irish crime film written and directed by Nathan Todd and starring Colm Meaney. It is Todd's directorial debut.[1]

Plot

A Belfast Story explores life after terrorism. Set in a city which has weathered hundreds of years of hatred, 30 years of bombs, and a war without winners, just victims. A new era brings new risks. There is peace, but that can also be deadly

Cast

  • Colm Meaney as Detective
  • Malcolm Sinclair as Chief Constable
  • Maggie Cronin as Sinead
  • Tommy O'Neill as First Minister Owen McKenna
  • Damien Hasson as Damien
  • Patrick Rocks as Eammon
  • Peter O'Toole as Alley victim

Reception

The film received negative reviews and has a 14% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]

Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter wrote in his review, "Nathan Todd attempts something similar in his debut feature, a murder mystery with political overtones, but his inexperience lets him down badly." He also added, "not even [Meaney's] heavyweight gravitas can save A Belfast Story from its weak script, sluggish pacing and one-dimensional characters."[3]

Steve Rose of The Guardian gave the film 2 stars out of 5 and wrote, "the plot scatters too many pieces about, putting the film's star off screen for long stretches."[4]

Controversy

A month before its release, the film garnered controversy in Great Britain for the filmmakers' publicity stunt of sending a nail bomb kit to the media to promote the film.[3][5] Nathan Todd later issued an apology.[6]

References

  1. ^ "A Belfast Story: latest movie take on Troubles may drive you up wall". Belfast Telegraph. 17 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  2. ^ "A Belfast Story (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b Dalton, Stephen (22 September 2013). "A Belfast Story: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  4. ^ Rose, Steve (19 September 2013). "A Belfast Story – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  5. ^ "NI film A Belfast Story promoted by 'nail bomb kit'". BBC News. 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  6. ^ Sherwin, Adam (23 August 2013). "A Belfast Story director apologises for sending 'nail bomb' promotional kit branded 'the most distasteful freebie ever'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.