“Belle” is inspired
by history, a 1770s Scottish painting of a half-black woman named Dido
Elizabeth Belle on equal level with her Anglo cousin. The posing thumped historic,
with the slave trade going on full hell tilt. “Belle” leans standard fictional Brit
family drama cum courtroom thriller hoopla, thought it scores marks for telling
that Britain and America built their empires on slavery. Fact. Story: Dido
(Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is raised by distant, but wealthy relatives (Tom Wilkinson
and Emily Watson) when life already was bleak for women –- zero rights. Her obstacles
are fierce. Nonetheless, she finds suitors, one an anti-slavery proponent (Sam
Reid). Meanwhile, Wilkinson’s high-court judge hears a case on slave cargo and
insurance. His decision could topple the sick practice and bring economic ruin.
(No more free labor.) Belle obsesses on the case. She swipes evidence, dressed
in a hooded robe that had me thinking “Jedi.” Heroic Reid shouts
so many truth and justice speeches, I thought, “He’d make a great Superman!” Miscast
Tom Felton doesn’t help as a snarling bigot. Is he aware he’s no longer playing
Malfoy? Amma Asante’s drama is problematic, yes. Look past that. B
Monday, July 7, 2014
Belle (2014)
Labels:
2014,
Africa,
America,
Amma Asante,
Belle,
black,
civil rights,
economy,
Emily Watson,
England,
Gugu Mbatha-Raw,
history,
human traffic,
slavery,
society,
Tom Wilkinson,
white,
women
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment