The movie tells the story of Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a young mixed girl (black mother, white father). After her mother's death, the father (Matthew Goode), a young Navy captain, takes Dido to live with his uncle, (Tom Wilkinson) England's chief supreme justice. Heavily prejudiced, the uncle and family express concern and complaints, but as the father has given the child his legal surname, the family takes her in. Years pass, and the father dies, leaving Dido the sole heiress of a mass fortune. Now, she must learn to accept and balance all facets of her identity, learning more about the realities and difficulties of the world and its society.
This is a lean screenplay: no scene overstays its welcome. It's surprising, considering "Belle" balances not only the love triangle and the main lead's search for acceptance in society, but also a court case drama and a subplot involving Dido's cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) looking for her own love. The pacing for each piece works well, juggling all these plot devices in a way that feels stimulating, but never overwhelming.
The strength is in the cast: each role is executed well, though the characters seem more like personified themes than actual people. It's a strange feeling, because this shouldn't work, but because the story works so well, I don't ever mind the cast. In a way, it's like watching a high-end soap opera. Sam Reid plays an aspiring abolitionist lawyer and while his dialogue can be single-minded, even preachy, Reid's performance is active enough and memorable enough to give it a pass. Most of the cast works off this tone except for two exceptions: Dido and Elizabeth.
The two women transcend; their relationship with each other is loving and genuine, never privy to a speech about the ills of slavery or the pains of being a woman. The two are sisters, cracking jokes, having fun, consoling one another. Every time the two were on screen, it was fun; I felt I was watching real people, not archetypes.
The duality of a white patriarchy's approach to race and gender as far as determining social status is complex and fascinating. Marriage is the defining status symbol for a woman of this period: the family a woman marries to represents either a move up or down on the social totem pole. Dido has a beneficial surname and dowry: symbols of a high-class woman. However, she's limited because of her mixed blood. Elizabeth has the opposite problem: because she's white, she has no problem fitting in society, appearance-wise, but her lack of dowry proves a disadvantage for attracting a suitable husband. These women feel ashamed for not being able to live up to their society's standards, and the movie cuts to the core of the dilemma.
I think "Belle" disguises its complexities well: elements in this story are familiar and predictable, but under the surface, the film touches on issues such as racial guilt, gender disparities, and representation in a way that's emotional and intelligent. It's an ambitious, lean, well-executed drama, and I recommend it. Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.
"Belle" trailer:
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