I would like to begin by stating for the record that I am a jaded grump. That being said, I always go into a film with the full intention of liking it. The truth is, the curmudgeon in me desperately wants to be captivated, wowed, moved to tears, mesmerized, and any other euphoric state that I know cinema is capable of conjuring in my head and heart. I root for movies. I want them to succeed, I really do. But sometimes, I just don’t get why people like the movies they do — I can’t see what others are seeing. Mamoru Hosoda’s animated feature Belle is such a film: one that garners near-universal praise, but one I can’t stand. 

Part Beauty and the Beast and part Ready Player One, Belle tells the story of Suzu, a quiet high school girl with a tragic past who becomes a pop star in a virtual game world known as “U.” Inside U, everyone is given an avatar based on their “biometric readings” and offered a chance to “change the world.” Suzu is made into Belle, a beautiful singing sensation whose music inspires the masses to equal parts admiration and scorn.

As her popularity grows inside this artificial existence, the real Suzu struggles with everyday life, as many teens do. Things change, however, when a performance given by Suzu/Belle inside U is interrupted by a beastly flying dragon who revels in evading and beating the shit out of some uber-jock cop types. Naturally, Belle is enraptured by this bad boy and must know more. Thus begins her vapid quest. 

I’m being mean, but let me explain: First, I think I’m too old for this movie. Second, I find it difficult to relate to the desire to reinvent oneself online or anywhere else because that’s not something I’ve ever wanted to do. My wife often gives me shit for my lack of understanding in this regard, but I was never the person who tried on a bunch of personality hats to see which one fit best. I never had to “find” or “discover” myself. I heard Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Operation Ivy when I was young and I’ve been a punk rocker ever since. One hat, that’s all I’ve ever needed. Maybe I’m lucky in this regard, or just fixed in my ways, but I find the glorification of retreating from your problems into a toxic Twitter-come-to-life to be irresponsible. What if your life sucks there too? Then what?  

In addition to this general disconnect with the material, the narrative threads that hold Belle together are flimsy at best and lack any semblance of tonal balance. What’s more, motivation seems completely moored by one-dimensional characterization and uninspired, wishy-washy anime clichés we’ve seen a million times before. The only depth Belle manages to achieve is a tacked-on attempt near the end featuring a “ripped from the headlines” Law & Order: SVU-style child abuse angle that’s more exploitative than sympathetic. It all feels so empty and plastic.

Listen, I fully admit that Belle’s set-up and themes are not something I usually connect with, and that, for me, it was doomed from the start. However, if it happens to be your cup of tea, I fully encourage you to enjoy it to the fullest extent. It does offer a number of stunning visuals that are sure to help cement it into the pantheon of great anime like Grave of the Fireflies and Spirited Away regardless of my dislike for it. You do you.

Grade: D-plus. Rated PG. Now playing at the Fine Arts Theatre

(Photo: GKids)

One order of tea, please! In an especially weak year for animation, Belle makes its genre peers look like flipbooks. The stunning level of visual creativity and imaginative synthesis of B&TB and RPO won me over quickly and provide an easier inroads to the material than many anime narratives. In the tradition of Your Name and Weathering With You, Hosoda’s film is a feast for the senses and shows what’s capable with modern technology.

Grade: A-minus —Edwin Arnaudin