The second film of the first day of the fest.
Belle
Dir. Mamoru Hosoda / Dur. 121 mins
Strand:- Official Competition
In A Nutshell:- Withdrawn teenage Suzu, still impacted by the death of her mother years earlier, reinvents herself as successful singer Bell in the online world of U where she is drawn to the mysterious and destructive Dragon…
The Good:- Utilising elements of both Cocteau and Disney’s Beauty And The Beast (with nice nods throughout the film to the look and feel of both) but spinning something different out of it, there’s an emotional depth to this that (for me) was not as present in Hosada’s previous effort Mirai (which I watched at the 2018 fest). The animation itself is gorgeous with the use of traditional 2D animation and CGI animation to differentiate between the real world and the online world of U working really well. Bell’s design has a real Disney feel to it while Dragon evokes the style of Cartoon Saloon films such as Song Of The Sea or Wolfwalkers (see Q&A notes); a design choice which visually highlights that you can be anything in the world of U. There are some nice touches of humour throughout, including some nice jabs at online sponsorship, and one extremely funny scene between two characters confessing their feelings for each other which has beautiful comic timing. The reveal of who Dragon is and the element of jeopardy it introduces leads to some powerful and genuinely nerve-wracking moments.
The Bad:- It’s maybe a little long at two hours for the story that it’s trying to tell but that really is a minor criticism.
The Verdict:- It’s a gorgeous and heartfelt tale with a conscious mix of 2D and CGI animation that actually works (rather than the usual glaring blend) and a spin on Beauty And The Beast that goes in surprising directions with an emotionally satisfying ending.
Q&A Notes:- This was the first in person visit to the Film Fest for Mamoru Hosada, having been unable to make it in 2018 when Mirai was screened. The Beauty And The Beast influence was a very conscious one; Disney’s version being the film that cemented his decision to enter into the world of animation in the first place and he’d always wanted to put his own spin on it with a chance to animate his won version of the Beast.
The look and feel of Bell and Dragon being influenced by Disney and Cartoon Saloon respectively was also a deliberate one as Hosada collaborated with animators from both companies on the film (his collaboration with Cartoon Saloon came about as the result of the pandemic and being on a Zoom with them which lead to them working together).
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