Belle

What a wonderful opportunity this was to expand the vistas of filmmaking, but it's totally TANKED by a brick-dumb screenplay, a flat style, and a complete inability to tell its story in a living, breathing present.

While we expect historical fiction to take license with it's story, I'm struggling with one particular aspect, the size of her inheritance. But it is used to make an excellent point--as Dido says, she was saved twice--from the color of her skin, and from the restrictions on her gender. The irony is especially poignant with it being played out in one of the most class conscious societies ever. Though the legal case in 1772 on which her great-uncle, the Earl of Mansfield ruled is embellished,

Belle wasn't that swell. Gugu Mbatha-Raw did a great job as the titular but the rest of the movie didn't get the memo she did. This movie had a lot of dry boring moments. I did like how Belle being black seemed to have more freedom than her white sister/cousin due to being an heiress. The costumes were well made and some of the settings were gorgeous...

Fairly standard period piece until the introduction of the legal subplot.

Costume dramas rarely work for me, but this one felt especially derivative. The visual style is anonymous (yes, the costumes and sets are nice, but they always are), the writing is predictable and almost all of the characters are caricatures. It's about an important topic but the filmmaking is just so uninspired. Mbatha-Raw is the exception, whose performance is deeply felt and occasionally manages to overcome the limits of the film surrounding her, but she can't work miracles.

Cute, but utterly, utterly predictable.

Loosely based on the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), daughter of an African mother and an aristocratic British father, who grows up caught between her privilege as part of the nobility and the racial prejudices of her time. Some of the emotional high points are fairly contrived, and the overwrought score doesn't help, but fine, sensitive performances from Mbatha-Raw, Sarah Gadon, and Tom Wilkinson, along with the impeccable production and costume design, help greatly.

Costume drama isn't really my bag - it's perhaps the only genre I'd truly handicap when it comes to my ratings and reviews - but Belle won me over with its old-fashioned swooning romance, a selection of rich and compelling characters, and an assured lead performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Somewhat of an enlightened, liberal pat-on-the-back. That said, it's modestly entertaining and features the guy who played Draco in Harry Potter.

I didn't really care that much for the film. It was overly preachy and fairly unrealistic, although the basic message was right and good. It wasn't good entertainment or informative. Predictable.

When you need to be reminded that the world isn't god's toilet.

It's cool that Dido got some air time, and an important moment for black history, I'd imagine, and a historically accurate occasion to feature a non-white protagonist in a European high society period drama (though the Russian court would offer numerous opportunities). That said, it feels pretty hollow, disappointingly self-conscious and its smug tone detracts from the effective telling of a potentially remarkable story. Dido wasn't made very interesting, and that's a discredit to the potential.

One of the better costume dramas I've seen in recent years. The screenplay is predictable at times, but that is offset by great production values, a moving true story behind it, and a solid cast led by the powerful lead performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw. I was impressed by the way it focused not just on typical class rules, but also in how the lead character's race and affluence challenges those around her.

A highly optimistic, G-rated version of history.

Fairly predictable, but thoroughly engrossing drama of 18th century privilege forced to come to terms with a black relative being left in their charge, all set against a legal battle which would set in motion the abolition of slavery. This could have been a turgid affair, but the passion and believability displayed by all the cast (esp: Reid, Mbaha-Raw & Wilkinson) kept things moving along superbly. Despite the Mansfields love of their charge, the conflicts she created were beautifully realised

In other significant ways, Belle's main focus isn't really romance at all. Instead, Dido and John's risky commitment to combating slavery makes this story more akin to the 2007 film Amazing Grace, the tale of pioneering British antislavery crusader William Wilberforce. Like Wilberforce, Dido's uncle, Lord Mansfield, ultimately feels compelled to take a politically dangerous stand on behalf of justice for horrifically mistreated slaves, after being challenged, convicted and convinced.

A solid reminder of the constraints put upon all women and many men by society at the time. An understated but believable performance by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Rather predictable, but lovely. Gugu Mbatha-Raw gives a wonderful performance.

Dialogues Paused for Dramatic Effect: The Movie.

whole lotta white people doin' the right thing

It's certainly an interesting story, with a strong performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw.