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It is about how Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) was raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife as an almost-but-not-quite member of the British aristocracy. Given her unique lineage she was afforded certain privileges, within the rigid class structure of British life in the later-day 1700s.
While her status provided her with stature, education and a comfortable lifestyle, it also prevented her from the traditions of noble social standing. Meanwhile, her (White) cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) had status but no money. The two girls grew up as sister/cousins and playmates.
Belle meets an idealistic young vicar’s son (Sam Reid) who wishes to become a lawyer and is bent on changing society. He and Belle strike up a relationship based on commonality of interest and situation, and then the two of them go on to help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
The main thrust of the story is about how Lord Mansfield is presiding over a case where a slaver ship dumped its cargo of slaves and is attempting to collect the insurance for its lost “cargo.”
The Avon Theater is located at 272 Bedford St., Stamford.
"Belle" (104 minutes) is rated “PG” and runs through June 11. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson and is directed by Amma Asante Norwalk resident Robert J. Sodaro has been reviewing films for some 30 years. During that time, his movie reviews and articles have appeared in numerous print publications, as well as on the web. Subscribe to receive regular articles and movie reviews through his website.
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