BELLE tells the moving true story of the woman whose life and love defied  convention and left a mark on history. Directed by Amma Asante (A Way of  Life) and penned by Misan Sagay, it follows Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu  Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of Royal Navy Admiral  John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). 
Her father rescued her from  destitution when she was a child, but due to his commitments to the  Royal Navy, Belle is left to the care of her great uncle, Lord Mansfield  (Tom Wilkinson), the Lord Chief Justice of England. 
 
Surrounded  by luxury and aristocratic displays of affluence, Belle's lineage  affords her certain privileges, yet the colour of her skin prevents her  from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. As  she matures, Belle is faced with mistrust and disdain from the English  aristocracy, in particular from Lady Ashford (Miranda Richardson), the  ambitious noblewoman looking to marry one of her sons to Belle's cousin  and best friend, Lady Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gadon). Left to wonder if  she will ever find love and what her future will hold, Belle falls for  an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help,  shapes Lord Mansfield's role in ending slavery in England. 
Reviews:
"absolutely compelling" - David Stratton, At The Movies
"a sumptuous costume drama... all the elements of a Jane Austen novel" - Sydney Morning Herald
"a lavish and elegant tale" - The Australian
BELLE  boasts a cast of seasoned veterans and fresh faces including Gugu  Mbatha-Raw, Sam Reid, Sarah Gadon, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson and  Emily Watson. 
Belle
RRP: $39.95
Blu-ray RRP: $49.95