Belle is Mamoru Hosoda's newest film. The creator is well known for his film's Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and receiving an Academy Award nomination for his film Mirai. Belle became Japan's third highest grossing film of last year with the film being nominated for several awards in Japan and abroad.
A shy girl who can only be herself in a virtual world. There, she is a singing superstar known as Belle..... She is used to the comfort of hiding behind an Avatar until a creature crashes her performance one day.... this is where her relationship with the Beast begins.
Belle is basically Beauty and the Beast with a modern day twist. We don't have a castle or a curse, just a virtual world full of people who hide who they truly are. Hosoda adds the same charm that was in his older film, Summer Wars which was a virtual world that looks pretty much the same. Some new rules are created for the this virtual world that feels more like a social media platform than anything else. A lot goes online as well as the real world. I'm not sure that this film juggles everything that happens in the plot to a firm balance however, Belle's charm in the overall message of overcoming trauma is absolute. Hosoda has this way of storytelling that always creates hardships for his characters as they use whatever medium to get over their wounds to become better or stronger people. I always say that Mamoru Hosoda's films are more about the human emotions of the characters than it is about the fantasy aspects that he creates in his films. If you don't come away from his films crying and cheering at some part of the film then, he hasn't done his job. Unplanned tears defiantly came down my face when Belle was singing for the Beast to come to her.... Speaking of the music, The singing for the English overdub was amazing. I have to give big applause to Kylie McNeill.
The Art looks a bit like Summer Wars only a tad bit more upgraded. There's world building through the art as you're introduced to various characters and how the world lets others communicate with one another. Belle's performance sequences were breath taking in CGI mixed into regular art. This was the star moments of the film for sure..
Belle isn't Mamoru Hosoda's best film. In my opinion, that title still belongs to Wolf Children. I do however, think that this film has all the components that remind us why Hosoda's films are so great. Would I recommend this film? Yes. just check out his other films first.
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