This trailer for Amma Asante’s Belle looks really good, for those (like me) who enjoy historical period dramas. Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Dido Belle, the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of a Navy Admiral raised by her great uncle (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson). How “based on a true story” the film is, I don’t really know, but Wilkinson’s William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, made slavery unlawful in England (though it was not completely abolished until 1834), so there’s a pretty interesting narrative arc for the film right there.
The film opens on May 2, 2014, which is a shame, only because it looks perfect for Oscarbait season.