Belle

Composite Score: 82.1

Starring: Kaho Nakamura/Kylie McNeill, Ryô Narita/Manny Jacinto, Shôta Sometani/Barbara Goodson, Tina Tamashiro/Hunter Schafer, Lilas Ikuta/Jessica DiCicco, and Toshiyuki Morikawa/Chace Crawford

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

Writer: Mamoru Hosoda

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Music, Musical, Sci-Fi

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic content, violence, language, and brief suggestive material

Box Office: $64.70 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Belle is a Japanese animated film about a young girl who rediscovers her talent for singing through a virtual reality social networking app and then uses her newfound fame to connect with her classmates and others across the internet. The film features beautiful music numbers, even more beautiful animation, and a story that has a deep connection to modern culture and our interactions with technology. It touches on the positives of interconnectedness while also showcasing some of the potential dangers, walking the line of being pro-social media and also socially aware. Its two-pronged story (in the app and out of it) presents a combination of social commentary and high school dramedy that works extremely well in this film.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Some viewers might not relate as deeply with either portion of this film’s story, as it does focus primarily on issues facing the younger generations. The social media app is called “U”, which is maybe a bit more on the nose than it ought to be. Some of the best parts of the film come in the references to other Internet bits and pieces of pop culture, so for people out of the loop, the watchability declines severely. This is not to say that there is nothing to be gained by watching Belle for those not quite as “online” as the majority of society today – the film’s climax focuses on the very real issue of noticing when people are exhibiting signs of abuse, for example – just there’s not going to be as much that less internet-savvy folks relate to or take away from watching the film.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Belle’s storytelling is beautifully done. The high school story about Suzu and her friends navigating the various dramas of crushes and rumors and missed connections and popularity entertains and feels familiar enough on its own, holding up against some of the best of its live-action counterparts (Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, etc.). Where Belle takes a step beyond is with the interconnected second story that unfolds within the world of U before eventually connecting to the “real” story in both climaxes. Though the animation and story in the app feel familiar (playing heavily off of the story of Beauty and the Beast), their original twist on their inspiration keep the film feeling fresh and highly enjoyable. When the stories eventually cross over, the wholeness that is brought to the story carries over to the audience, helping the film stick with you after it’s over.

                Belle also succeeds in its artistic departments. Both the animation and music in this animated musical immerse you in the world and feel beautifully original. The “real world” is simple and well-crafted, leaving room for the audience to put the locations into their own real world. By contrast, the world of U is fully fantastical with different physics, aesthetics, and rules entirely than our world, creating the ideal space for the film’s characters to escape that also appeals to the audience in a way that keeps them interested. In the same way, the film’s songs feel beautifully familiar and original, reaching into the soul with deep lyrics and well-performed melodies that could easily have come from any major musical artist in the last five years. The entire film is a study in beauty and our perception of it, and it does a great job of bringing the audience into its beauty.

                Belle succeeds thanks to its well-juxtaposed storytelling and beautiful artistic flourishes, both visual and auditory, making its place among the Greatest Films of All Time hardly surprising at all. Though its substance is not yet as universal as it most likely will become, its positive messaging and generally relatable story should keep it as one that is talked about for years to come. The English dub of Belle just came to HBO Max at the start of the month if you are interested in streaming it, and I highly recommend that you do.