Belle is the British aristocracy version of an underdog sports movie. Featuring a solid cast and ornate period detail, Belle is at times compelling but mostly feels tired and conventional. I mean, how many times can we see British decorum broken and the elite appalled at what is going on?
Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the illegitimate half-black daughter of Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode), a naval Admiral and member of Britain’s elite in 18th century England. Lindsay leaves Belle with Lady (Emily Watson) and Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and Belle’s cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon). Belle grows up unable to participate in the same activities her sister and grows an interest in Lord Mansfield’s political occupation and starts siding with apprentice John Davinier (Sam Reid), who fights for human rights and the end of slavery. In addition, Belle and Elizabeth are being courted by Oliver (James Norton) and James (Tom Felton) Ashford, one of whom holds severe disdain for colored women.
Dido Elizabeth Belle is a biracial woman in the aristocracy. This is a unique perspective that the screenplay fails to capitalize upon. Because of the influence of the ruling on slavery in Britain, it makes sense to make a priority on Belle’s color, but not enough screen time is given to her struggles as a woman. The movie positions traditionalists against progressives, with very little gray area in between. Wouldn’t there have been men who were for banning slaver but against female independence? The story might have been better served making Belle’s love interest Davinier more complicated by being unsure of his positions on women’s rights instead of resorting to over-the-top equality rhetoric. A little more line blurring would make Belle more compelling and give the stakes of the climax more heft.
It’s too bad too, because Belle plays as a very cute love story. Davinier and her courtship generate sparks; the true climax of the film is a confrontation in the carriage between Lord Mansfield and Davinier about Belle. Dido is also courted by one of the Ashford boys who is smitten with her and unafraid to be seen with her publicly. The screenplay takes the easy way out with contrived reasons for the end of the Ashford engagement (the movie in general goes to this well too often); too bad, because Belle is well set up to make us believe she would have turned him down anyway and chosen Davinier. In fact, such a move without artifice would have been a nice character moment for Belle instead of resulting in a shrug.
The actors do what they can with a weak screenplay. Gugu Mbatha-Raw gives Belle royalty and grace with a nice undercurrent of anger and resentment. Belle may be trampled upon, but she will not stand for it forever, and Mbatha-Raw sells her drive with sheer intensity in looks. She also has a nice little chemistry with both Sam Reid and James Norton. Tom Wilkinson gets to evolve the most in Belle, and he takes a traditional role and makes it his own. Emily Watson gets one scene to give Lady Mansfield some depth and she nails it as expected. Penelope Hilton, Matthew Goode, Sarah Gadon, and Miranda Richardson are all good in limited roles. The blemish is Tom Felton, who plays one note and doesn’t remotely look older than his “younger” brother.
People who love British things will find Belle entertaining and a little funny. However, this movie lacks crossover appeal that it is so desperately seeking. Belle is rightly a great moment in British history, but it is a mediocre part of British cinematic history.