Mark Kermode Reviews Anime Movie Belle

Living In An Age Of Social Media

Mark Kermode just reviewed new anime movie Belle for the BBC and here it is…

Synopsis:

From the celebrated Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creator of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more, comes a fantastical, yet beautiful and contemporary thematic story of one girl’s growth in the age of social media.

Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.

BELLE is out now in cinemas nationwide. The film will be available in both its original Japanese language with English subtitles, as well as an English language version.