Based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a young teenager illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Captain, but she was raised by her royal rich uncle and his wife, the thing that leads her to enjoy all the qualities of the elite but her color stands in her way, the thing that inspires her to help in ending the slavery in England.
Luminous British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw brings a hope and intelligent hunger to Dido. She's loved by her family enough to have a sense of belonging but hemmed in by broader cultural realities to experience moments of unease.
Independent Online (South Africa)
March 07, 2016
It is a well-crafted tale that brings humanity to an issue that continues to resonate, even in a time when slavery theoretically does not exist: How do you fit into a society that sees your skin colour first, negating your humanity?
It's an old-fashioned movie with a very modern streak, centered by a vibrant star turn by Mbatha-Raw, whose watchful, wise Dido makes an enchanting heroine.
Times (UK)
September 23, 2014
The teenage Dido Elizabeth Belle is impressively played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw with a tender sensibility and a growing awareness.
Though having the kind of pedestrian pace which often hits British costume dramas (Keira Knightley's 2008 film The Duchess excepted), Belle is sumptuously filmed and feels relevant.
Belle presents an interesting history lesson, one that had significant repercussions, but some of the developments in this storyline turn out to be woefully convenient.
