Director Amma Asante brings us a rebel with a cause in the form of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a girl of mixed race is raised by her uncle, a highly respected judge, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson). Attempting to break free from the house rules she’s been raised by, Dido becomes instrumental in a court case concerning the human rights of slaves.

Cinematographer Ben Smithard is part of the reason as to why ‘Belle’ is a beautiful film (no pun intended). It is indeed a high class society and, on top of the immaculate costume design (thanks to Anushia Nieradzik), the film emits the kind of sophistication that made audiences flock to films like ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘The Young Victoria’. While the subject matter may not be as elegant as its setting, Smithard’s frequent use of wide shots truly makes ‘Belle’ an exquisite film.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is perfect as Belle. Her onscreen presence is never dull and keeps us intrigued with every quick-witted remark, every concern, and every disappointment. The way that she responds in the privacy of her own room in a particular scene in which she feels very cut off from the rest of her family is compelling and though it may not be enough to merit an Oscar nod (on account of it being a bit early in the year that this film was released), it is indeed noteworthy, and thus, sets the standard for her bright future. Paired with her onscreen uncle (Wilkinson), she carries her own weight against the veteran actor and her confidence in the character she portrays (based on true events) makes the subject matter all the more relevant juxtaposed to the developing love story.

With a lot of films being more focused on the oppression of those of African descent on the poorer side, ‘Belle’ does the opposite. Asante and screenwriter Misan Sigay show that she was very well-accomplished, determined, intelligent, and in good fortune. Although she did struggle largely with others in her society not being able to look past her skin color, ‘Belle’ focuses on her character development. Her focus slowly comes off of her own hardships and onto those less fortunate. It’s not a common statement we see stressed in films, which is very refreshing especially with “12 Years a Slave’s” release and success.

The cast and crew give the film’s atmosphere a very ‘Pride and Prejudice’ feel with its main character not being able to see past her own prejudices and also being introduced to a man whose attempts in opening her eyes is misjudged by her. Despite the set design and dialogue also paying homage to Jane Austen, the true imitation lies in the main character and that of her love interest. Although seemingly a perfect match—especially in a scene where he confronts her uncle out in the street—Sam Reid, in his role as John Davinier, constantly crosses the line of melodrama. His performance, at times, is almost too passionate to the point of obnoxiousness and, at other times, not passionate enough. Reid’s struggling confidence in the role isn’t without its uses especially where the situation is a bit awkward or when the two are getting to know each other.

As previously mentioned, ‘Belle’ is a refreshing story about that of a woman of African descent in England’s high society being confronted with the hardships of those less fortunate facing even harder situations due to the color of their skin. Nevertheless, focusing a bit more on the actual court case would’ve also been interesting to witness. Lawyers debating for and against the human rights of slaves would not only work to open Dido’s eyes even further, but also to that of her uncle.

‘Belle’ is a unique and beautiful film based on a true story and a story that still has relevance today. Although some of the acting is a bit over the top, the film’s messages are subtle, but too important to ignore.

Jim’s Rating: 7.25/10

Even with some cool visual effects, an impressive score, and a great cast, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ suffers from some script structure issues.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) faces his toughest decisions yet shortly after his high school graduation while battling a fanatic-turned-villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), and his childhood friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) as the Green Goblin.

Heroes are only as good as their villains. While Garfield continues to grow as a Spider-Man that we can fully understand and, therefore support, his antagonists don’t seem as formidable. A villain with whom we can empathize makes for a more balanced showdown when our hero and the villain inevitably fight (i.e., “Loki” in ‘Thor’ and in ‘The Avengers’ and “Bane” in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’). Conceptually, Max Dillon’s rise (or fall) to villainy as Electro may have worked, but cinematically it failed to genuinely play out. Max’s reason for being against Spider-Man is too rushed and, as a result, not strong enough to explain why he’d want to seek revenge on Spider-Man; his descent into crime doesn’t make sense logically. Additionally, Foxx, while he has proven his acting skills in other films (i.e., ‘Ray’, ‘Collateral’, ‘The Soloist’), doesn’t portray Max as an individual that audiences would necessarily pity, but someone who’s more of an annoyance.

Paul Giamatti has a minor role in this film as a villain we meet at the beginning of the film. Although ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’, due to the placement of each villain in the story, doesn’t fall into the same issues that ‘Spider-Man 3’ suffered with having too many villains, Giamatti’s character, Aleksei Sytsevich, is merely a temporary distraction and, had his character not been included in the film, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, may have had more room to develop Electro’s character and expand on his gradual steps towards villainy as he is the main villain.

With superhero films growing in both size and in stakes with what the protagonist (or protagonists) must face, the dialogue should also equal the severity of the threat to give audiences that feeling of satisfaction when their heroes defeat the enemy (or hopelessness should the villain succeed). Having dialogue that’s very cliché takes filmgoers out of the experience; lines that they’ve heard numerous times before no longer hold any seriousness or authenticity. Our characters—both good-natured and ruthless—are given lines that not even comic book movies can get away with anymore with how much they’re overused. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ has a great task in its hands in being the second installment in a rebooted franchise. The first forty-five minutes are a rehash of what the first film introduced at the end. Audiences are being retaken into a scenario that, again, distracts from what could have been a deeper analysis into Electro’s downfall or revealing Sytsevich’s much larger role in the Marvel Universe as it relates to Spider-Man.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ is not without its great moments and attributes. It features a score by Hans Zimmer that, while keeping melodies that resonate with the Spider-Man theme from ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, is reminiscent of John William’s style with strong hints of Alan Silvestri’s score for ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. It’s a very heroic and majestic score that makes you root for our zany, yet distracted hero. For any dubstep fans, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ introduces this recent addition to the popular music industry. Instead of, however, taking away from the experience, it emphasizes the type of mind that Spider-Man is dealing with here in Electro and the grave danger in trying to defeat someone as erratic as his powers. At one point during a fight scene, we’re attuned to Electro’s inner thoughts via the score which makes for a cooler (if not, a bit chilling) experience.

For a comic book film, there are several dramatic scenes. Despite the poor dialogue that our cast must work with, the emotion behind their words are felt. As Peter Parker wrestles with having to keep a promise made previously with Gwen’s (Emma Stone) father, keeping his identity hidden from his Aunt Mae (Sally Field), and trying to figure out who his father really was, Garfield shows us a side of Parker that hadn’t yet been explored before. There’s a specific scene between Garfield and Field that shows Garfield’s range and Parker’s depth as a character.

Although his role as the villain comes much later in the film and is smaller relative to Electro’s role, Dane DeHaan’s approach to Harry Osborn/Green Goblin is the most memorable and the role that feels the most grounded. Having to constantly be told that there’s no helping his situation including his old friend, Parker, is a bit more believable in script logic as well as in DeHaan’s slow and careful delivery.

In ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’, there’s a lot to showcase and the screenwriters made things a bit more difficult for themselves in backtracking to an idea from the first film and not providing enough of a foundation for the villains in the film to stand on. For a summer blockbuster, it’s an entertaining film at times with how it presents itself visually and with the confidence in their characters that Garfield, Stone, and DeHaan depict naturally. Nevertheless, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ struggles to stick to one main idea and falls short of its promise.

Jim’s Rating: 6.5/10