Belle

Belle is a perfect example of a contrasting film that presents the viewer with dual aspects. The first aspect showcases highly professional production values with a strong cast and corresponding performances, excellent set design, and overall well-executed craftsmanship of the project. The second, less sympathetic aspect of the film is its perfect predictability, which can be likened to a primitive children's puzzle. A new character appears, and you immediately assign them the appropriate role - that's the lecherous seducer, that's the devoted admirer with a pure heart who leads the heroine to the altar, and so on. Practically never making a mistake, the film's script could easily be written by even you, as practically nothing in it can surprise or astonish you. Three stars are as good as guaranteed, and I can even imagine a fourth star for fans of Emily Watson or Tom Wilkinson. Overall impression: 60%. (03.01.2023)

Belle is one of those films that rely on the lives of real people from the past and tell a story through them that is important today. It is not important to have facts 1:1, but the message is. Dido Elizabeth Belle (1761-1804) did indeed live, and we can also find a shared portrait with her cousin Lady Elizabeth Finch-Hatton (1760-1825), which plays a certain role in this film. However, the result is an average film with an incredibly bad ending. The ending is almost overly saccharine kitsch, unfortunately. But I attribute that to the fact that the theme of Belle was completely exhausted within a few years. After the exhibition of the double portrait at Kenwood in 2007, at least 6 books and 7 other dramatizations were released, whether for film or theater. It's not possible to rewrite one biography so many times in such a short time without completely diluting it. (25.03.2024)

So I just confirmed for myself that I simply don't enjoy historical movies and there are only a few dramatic-romantic films that truly captivate me. "Belle" is definitely not "Pride and Prejudice", and even though the actors try and their performances come across really well, the film remains for me a contrived and forced spectacle. (12.08.2014)