Belfast Movie Looks ‘A Bit Protestant’ For Local Man

KENNETH Branagh’s critically-adored, semi-autobiographical film ‘Belfast’ may be in consideration for victory this awards season, but it isn’t in consideration for Waterford man Ian O’Shay’s trip to the cinema tonight due to the ‘proddy vibes’ he’s getting from it.

Telling the story of a young boy in 1960s Belfast as he witnesses clashes between Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods, Branagh’s movie has bee hailed as a ‘masterpiece’ by many, although keen cinema-goer O’Shay has expressed doubts that the film is in keeping with his Nationalist views and as such may force him into accepting that the conflict in Northern Ireland isn’t as black and white as he thinks.

“Which is kind of ironic as the film is in black and white,” mused O’Shay, perusing the listings for his local multiplex.

“To be honest, anything that makes me look at the history of this nation through a lens that doesn’t suit my dyed-in-the-wool pro-Catholic, pro-Republican stance is off to a shaky start. I prefer something where I can clearly say ‘yes, there we are, oppressed as fuck and lashing back at our oppressors’. Not this ‘there’s two sides to every story’ craic. What if I go see Belfast and leave it with some sort of new-found respect for Protestants? It’s not really worth the risk if you ask me”.

O’Shay went on to state that he’s more likely to skip Belfast and go see Scream 5, which has a much easier to appreciate good vs. bad story and if nothing else, is in colour.