Belle

Film details

Film TitleBelle
Suitability
Genre
Length121mins
Year2021
CountryJapan
DirectorMamoru Hosoda
ActorsKaho Nakamura, Ryô Narita, Shôta Sometani
LanguageEnglish
AKABelle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess AKA Ryû to sobakasu no hime
Showings

Suzu is a shy high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a globally-beloved singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l-nWz6dhE8
It left me wishing I was as optimistic about the internet as Hosoda apparently is.
Belle is also incredibly funny, gear-shifting from soaring uplift and plunging lows to bone-dry comic moments that Hosoda edits perfectly to nail the endless awkwardness of high-school romantic encounters…
Ultimately, Belle is a thoughtful exploration of the opportunities allowed by internet anonymity.

For all of the film’s visually striking action and musical set pieces, it’s the generosity of spirit with which it approaches the modern teenage experience that’s its most impressive attribute.