Movie You Gotta See: Belle

By Regan Farley | February 27, 2014 | Entertainment

DivaGals contributor Regan Farley gives the scoop on the new Fox Searchlight film Belle.

I got a sneak peek of the upcoming movie Belle, which shares the remarkable and untold story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (played by big screen newcomer Gugu Mbatha-Raw) — the illegitimate child of a British navy admiral, Sir John Lindsey (Matthew Goode) and an enslaved African woman during the aristocratic time period.

Belle meets her father for the first time as a young child, and he takes her to live with her great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and wife (Emily Watson), something seen as forbidden during the 1700s. BelleΓÇÖs family line provides her with a well upbringing, but simply because of the color of her skin she is still seen as different.

BelleΓÇÖs yearning to know of her African history leads her down a path of discovery where she meets and falls in love with a young lawyer. Meanwhile, BelleΓÇÖs uncle Lord Mansfield who is also chief justice has to deliberate on the issue of abolishing slavery. This story truly sets the tone for showing a different side of history and should not be forgotten.

Belle will premiere May 2.

photo credit: Fox Searchlight