Steve McQueen's unrelenting
12 Years A Slave (review
here) is in theaters now, and while the film has been greatly buzzed about and is all but a lock for the Oscars, it's going to be too tough for many to sit through. But for those who, for whatever reason, are looking for a film that follows similar thematic territory, there has been a great deal of positive talk surrounding
Belle, a period drama directed by Amma Asante. The film premiered at Toronto last month and while it's still a ways off from hitting theaters, Fox Searchlight is riding
12 Years A Slave's coattails to start getting the word out.
Starring the extremely talented Gugu Mbatha-Raw (
Larry Crowne) in her first feature film lead, the true story centers on Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate biracial daughter of Royal Navy Admiral Sir John Lindsay, who is raised as an aristocrat by her great uncle (Tom Wilkinson) and aunt (Emily Watson). Despite her priviledged status, Belle's mixed race heritage continues to be an issue in an England where slavery is still a way of life.
Co-starring Tom Felton, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson, and Matthew Goode,
Belle opens on May 2nd 2014.
BELLE Movie Trailer by GaMeFORGaMeRz
