Belle review – Mamoru Hosoda reaches new heights of opulence

Despite their notable distinctions, the works of Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda and his team at the acclaimed animation house Studio Chizu are measured against the might of Studio Ghibli with a depressing frequency. With his latest film Belle, however, Hosoda reaches new heights of opulence, further cementing his reputation as a towering figure in the world of feature-length Japanese animation.

The story here concerns reserved teenager Suzu (Kaho Nakamura) who, still haunted by her mother’s death when she was a little girl, is able to find an outlet by adopting the persona of a pop singer named “Belle” in the virtual world of “U.” Through this new persona she comes into the orbit of The Dragon (Takeru Satoh), a notoriously anti-social member of this online world. Thinking there’s more to the derided character than meets the eye, Suzu sets out to discover just who’s behind the fearsome avatar.

Belle goes from sci-fi tinted high school film, to mystery, to fairy tale, to… well, to say more would spoil many of this film's narrative secrets. The story veers in unexpected directions, at points evoking the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast (Disney fans will delight at a few nods to the studio's acclaimed 1991 adaptation). Yet despite the surprises, it maintains a consistent coming-of-age theme that ties together beautifully by the end.

Scenes move between the real world and the virtual world of “U,” with each given its own visual style. The most eye-watering visuals come from the noticeably CG-heavy “U” sequences, which achieve an unparalleled sense of scale. Whales glide through an ocean of skyscrapers which, when seen from afar, resemble pins on a computer processor, just as thousands of unique personal avatars zoom across the screen. And all the time, Hosoda makes these online landscapes seem vast, fantastic, and full of opportunity.

The visuals are appropriately eye-popping, but special attention should also be paid to the sound. The musical score – courtesy of Taisei Iwasaki, Ludvig Forssell and Yuta Bandoh – moves between light electronic beats, energetic pop ballads and stirring orchestral music, reflecting both the film's visual and tonal shifts while also adding to its immense sense of grandeur.

Eagle-eyed Hosoda fans will notice visual callbacks to his earlier films like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, and even his 2000 short Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! in many of the shot compositions and environmental designs. While Hosoda could justifiably be criticised for retreading old ground – “U” is eerily similar to Oz in Summer Wars, itself a retelling of Our War Game’s premise sans Digimon – such repetitions prove ultimately minor. The production values of Studio Chizu films have only continued to improve over the years and Belle represents a new visual peak.

What also sets Belle apart from Hosoda’s other works is a shift towards international collaboration. Cartoon Saloon, the beloved Irish studio behind the recent Wolfwalkers, was brought on board to work on background art for the “U” sequences. In addition, Disney character designer Jin Kim created the look for Belle, bringing the heroine closer in appearance to princesses like Frozen's Elsa. It’s fitting that such auspicious talents from around the world were recruited to help design the look of a global online network. The results speak for themselves – this is an exquisite triumph for both Hosoda and Studio Chizu.

Belle was screened as part of the BFI London Film Festival 2021. It will be released in UK cinemas on 4 February 2022.