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Simply A Masterpiece

Great Film overall

Best movie ever!

I heard about this film once or twice during its release in cinemas, I later found out about the good cast in it, and it did look and sound interesting, so I gave it a chance. Based on a true story, and inspired by the 1779 painting of the title character, Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) was born in 1761, the natural daughter of enslaved African woman Maria Belle from the West Indies, and British Royal Navy officer Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). After Dido's mother's dies in 1765, Captain Lindsay takes her from the West Indies slums and entrusts her to his uncle William Murray (Tom Wilkinson), 1st Earl of Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice, and his wife Elizabeth (Emily Watson), who live in the estate Kenwood House, in Hampstead outside London. Lord and Lady Mansfield raise Dido as a free gentlewoman, along with their niece Lady Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gadon), who came to live with them after her mother died and her father remarried. The two cousins reach adulthood, an oil portrait is commissioned, but Dido is unhappy sitting for it, worried she will portrayed as a black servant, rather than as an aristocrat. Dido's father dies and leaves her a generous sum of £2,000 a year, enough to make her an heiress, in contrast, Lady Elizabeth will have no income from her father, as his son from his new wife will become sole heir. A coming-out to society party is arranged for Elizabeth, but Lord and Lady Mansfield believe no gentleman will agree to marry Dido because of her mixed-race status. Lord Mansfield agrees to take a vicar's son, John Davinier (Sam Reid), into an apprenticeship for law, he becomes part of the Zong massacre case, this was the mass killing of 133 African slaves by the crew of the British slave ship Zong. During preparations for the court case, John gets very close to Dido, because of his interest in the cause of the abolitionists, Lord Mansfield tells him not to see her anymore, and ends his apprenticeship. Dido's aunts, Lady Mansfield, and her sister Lady Mary Murray (Penelope Wilton), seek to steer Dido into an engagement with Oliver Ashford (James Norton), younger brother of the bigoted James Ashford (Harry Potter's Tom Felton). James starts courting Elizabeth, but stops when he realises she has no inheritance, with no fortune Oliver proposes to Dido and she accepts, but she continues to see John, James takes Dido aside and says she will disgrace his family's name, then insults and manhandles her. Dido later tells Elizabeth of his true character and says she will give her part of her inheritance to help her find a new match, Lord Mansfield finds out about Dido and John seeing each other and confronts them, John professes his love for her, and later Dido meets with Oliver and breaks off their engagement. Dido is relieved when the oil painting is revealed, she is shown as Elizabeth's equal, she tells Lord Mansfield this proves that convention can be defied, he is ruling over the Zong case, he sees John and Dido outside the court, he says that she can only marry a gentleman, so reinstates John's apprenticeship, so he can become a lawyer. Dido and John share a kiss, acknowledging their romantic feelings, they went on to get married and had three children together, Elizabeth also married and had children, and their painting hangs at Scone Palace in Scotland, the birthplace of Lord Mansfield. Also starring Miranda Richardson as Lady Ashford, Alex Jennings as Lord Ashford, Lauren Julien-Box as Young Dido and Cara Jenkins as Young Elizabeth. Mbatha-Raw gives a good leading performance as the mixed-race aristocrat, taken from the slums into a life of luxury, the supporting cast including Wilkinson, Felton and Norton do well also, it is essentially a story examining aristocracy overcame racism of the time, and a simple men and women of wealth courting with great costumes, all in all it is a reasonably interesting period drama. Worth watching!

This was a great film and one that I would recommend. It was well acted, well scripted and just a beautiful display of the history of the time. It may not be 100% historically accurate but it is a great conversation starter for children and a pleasant watch for adults. a lot of period dramas rely heavily on sexuality to keep interest where Belle is much more pure if you will. I enjoyed the elegance with which they handled the bits of romance scattered throughout the film. it was gentle and humble as apposed to passionately violent and in your face. I prefer the approach used in Belle and this is a movie that I will absolutely be getting for our library at home.

I was recently looking up a list of slavery-related films off Wikipedia, and this fairly recent 2013 film showed up, and I had remembered adding it to my watch list on HBO GO, so thought I'd give it a go.This work of "historical fiction" is based on one particular painting, and what is known about it. Now the lead actress is a real cutey-p'tutey, and the cast is first-rate-->> Matthew Goode of the recent "Imitation Game", Tom Wilkinson, etc.. But the overall movie itself TBH was just kinda boring. The production values are first-rate, as are the performances, but the movie never really "takes off" to any great degree. I'm on the fence on this one...

I really have only one criticism regarding this film -- it's a little slow "out of the starting gate". But just when I got ready to yawn, the plot began to develop more interestingly, and I ended up watching it in one sitting (which I rarely do at home).The first strength of the film is the acting. With every film I see him in, I more and more come to the conclusion that Tom Wilkinson is one of today's very best actors; he never disappoints. Gugu Mbatha-Raw was impressive as the title character, although as my first experience with her, I'd want to see other examples of her acting before making any overall comment about her ability. We're not supposed to like Miranda Richardson's character, and I didn't, and I wasn't convinced in this one setting of her acting ability. On the other hand, Penelope Wilton -- as Lady Mary Murray (film wife of Wilkinson) was wonderful. I was impressed with Sam Reid as the fiery minister who opposes slavery and eventually wins the hand of Belle -- John Davinier. It was interesting to realize that Tom Felton (from the Harry Potter films) had an important -- though nasty -- role here; I kept wondering who is that...he seems familiar...only to realize who he was after looking it up. The other actors do their parts...they're fine...though without particular distinction.The second strength of the film is the story line...and there are two. The first, and it would seem the main story line, is of mulatto Belle who grows up in a White British world and how she adjusts to her role in life. That would be enough story for many films. But intertwined with it is the story of a slave ship that threw most of the slaves overboard. Was it for merely a profit motive? And there's where Belle's uncle (Wilkinson) comes in as England's head jurist who must decide the value of a slave. In coming to his conclusion he struggles with the law as it is (or may be interpreted), the value of a life, and his niece's romantic involvement with an anti-slavery minister. Again, it would be enough for one movie. But, the two story lines all fit together very nicely to form a complex story.The production is lush, the settings elaborate, and the costumes impressive.I was tempted to give the film and "8", but I reserve that for films that stand above Hollywood's (although this was a British picture) usual standards...and this does...although not quite over the line. So I give it a very strong "7".