BELLE - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 13th June 2014

Age Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 104 mins

Director: Amma Asante
Writer: Misan Sagay

Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode and Emily Watson

Belle; is a period piece to invite a wide audience to understand the hardship of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed race ‘illegitimate’ daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is as beautiful as the film, from the corset driven costumes to some of the well framed shots, it achieves what it needs to achieve, and that is being visually pleasing. 

However, by accomplishing this it looses the grit of the underlying story of a mixed race girl experiencing social apartheid in her extended family. You feel somewhat cheated that the real drama of this young girl’s life is not fully explored and therefore cannot immerse yourself in what it must have been like for Dido during this traditionalist time.  Every face, every scene and every scenario is too polished, and in turn, gives the whole film a shallow and lifeless aura. It has the feel of a Sunday TV film that you can enjoy with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.  

5/10