User Reviews

I was actually very surprised to read a few less than stellar reviews on IMDb. From the moment I saw the trailer for this last month I knew it looked right up my alley. I was practically in tears watching the trailer. Then I found a little more about it. It turns out this is a live action version of the 1960's animated French cartoon which I remember from my childhood in the eighties!! Its a beautifully simple, stunningly shot story about a boy and his dog with a side story about World War 2 prisoners escaping to Switzerland through the French mountains. They could have turned this into a full fledged TV Show but they did very well with the time constraints of a movie. I don't mean to imply that its brilliant or breathtaking but it is incredibly sweet and just a very nice family movie with absolutely nothing to be concerned about for the younger audiences save for a few moments of intensity. The melancholy tone of the film keeps you on the edge for each climactic turn and while none of the performances are "amazing" everyone is at least very good. It is easily one of the best "cartoon" adaptations I've ever seen because it simply stands on its own merits.

Félix Bossuet is very good as our young hero. One reviewer said he lacked emotion and looked uncomfortable and I did not get that one bit. First of all, he's adorably cute and looks almost animated in a live action sort of way. He looks like a young, free spirited, creative little boy and he makes the role completely believable. Bossuet just had the right look for this role and does well in it. Tchéky Karyo is excellent as Bossuet's Grandfather Cesar. We know right from the beginning that he cares deeply for Sebastian and is teaching him everything he knows. We also know he has a lot of his own dark demons, alcoholism being at the top of that. Karyo is terrific in this role. The only problem is that we don't see enough of him and the film doesn't allow us to really explore his character. Regardless he was one of my favourites in the film. Margaux Châtelier, Dimitri Storoge and Andreas Pietschmann are supporting characters that should have and try to be main characters. They are all very interesting with good back story but there just isn't time to get to know them as characters. Still, their performances are solid and they definitely are integral to a very good film. None of these actors overshadow the performance of that beautiful dog. Perhaps it was more than one dog...I don't know and it doesn't matter. I don't know who the credit goes to but the dog is brilliant. He shows emotion and facial expression and a heart that literally drives the film. Without her and Bossuet this wouldn't have nearly as good.

Reviewers said that they expected this to be more emotional but I do think they made this film for children or at least families. They aren't trying to be emotionally extreme though there are moments. I watched these with tears streaming down my face when the "beast" is hunted and shot because I already felt the connection between Sebastian and Belle and that is kudos to the entire cast and crew. Director Nicolas Vanier has taken a simple and cute story and turned it into something beautiful. Vanier comes from documentaries which probably helps with the absolutely gorgeous cinematography that is all happening behind and around these characters. Take a moment to just look at the stunning scenery and the way its used as a setting. Equally as haunting and beautiful is the musical score including a song that is simple and sweet and sung by Sebastian in the background of one or two scenes. It actually gave me goosebumps hearing it. Whether you're a fan of foreign films or not, grab your children, sit down and watch this/read it together if you have to. This is a beautiful story and an absolute gem that I won't soon forget. To me this was nearly an instant classic in my books and I intend on sharing it with my children. 9/10

Farfetched little story about a wild little French 6yo child allowed to frolic in the dangerous French Alps on his own, culminating in the heroine leaving him to cross the Alps back from Switzerland with his dog on his own. Haha

"Belle et Sébastien" takes place during World War 2 in France and aside from all the war references we see how a little boy forms an unlikely bond with a feral dog. And this dog is easily the highlight of the movie. Quite a beautiful creature and it was great to watch it from start to finish. The film starts in a heartbreaking manner already with a small animal that lost its parents and gets you right in the mood for everything that is about to come. For me, the whole film was about the animals, especially the dog. The subplots with the doctor, the young woman, the grandfather etc. did not really touch me on an emotional level, just like the whole story about getting to the USA.

The part with the wild wolves was nicely done too. It was sort of expected that they are the ones responsible for the killing and honestly I wonder a bit why they use the "bête" as the scapegoat if they know there's wild wolves around. Anyway, another highlight for em was the first meeting between the boy and the dog, where the dog still gives off an air of danger and yet you could already feel their connection. The most intense scene is possibly where the dog is injured and needs the injection to survive. Edge-of-seat stuff.

This is obviously a movie mostly aimed at younger audiences, so including all the World War background and Nazi references is a daring challenge, but the makers did a fine job as parents should not be worried to watch this movie with their children. I believe most of the younger audiences will not even remotely understand the historic aspect of chasing and deporting Jews and just enjoy watching Belle. And it is not just the dog: There is also ibexes, wolves, goats, eagles and many other wild animals from that mountainous area. I would say this film makes a truly great watch and is almost a must-see for dog owners. The scenery is absolutely stunning and I liked the film's message against hunting. Apart from this moral, the film also depicts the danger of rumors, especially if those who are the victims cannot defend themselves for whatever reason, no matter if human or animal. This way a complete legend was started about an actually peaceful dog (that only attacks when being attacked) being a savage monster.

The one thing I did not like that much was how the boy was left alone with the dog in the end, not because the dog could pose any kind of danger, but because it was still a little boy somewhere in the mountains. Felt a bit odd to me. However, as I really enjoyed this movie, I want to end it on a positive note: The music, as in most French films these days, was very good once again. I definitely recommend seeing this one.

Light as a feather and soft as snow, Belle and Sebastian has high production values and attractive shooting locations but it is as forgettable as a made for television special. Set in the French Alps and filmed on real mountains, the only positive attribute of the film are its aesthetic achievements. At the beginning of the film the wide angle shots and open spaces frame a beautiful but ominous cliff face. The director of these shots is Nicolas Vanier who is described as a French "adventurist" and last made Loup in 2009, which was about the Serbian mountain ranges and raising herds of reindeer. Evidently, from his filmography, the subject of this feature, and its emphasis on animals, Vanier loves the wild and nature. Yet there isn't a clear audience for whom he is aiming the film towards. The film is too lightweight for adults and it wouldn't be edgy enough children. The film seems oblivious to how increasingly sophisticated children today are and how desensitized they are to darker material. Films from major mainstream American studios like Pixar have challenged the notion that children's films have to be less intelligent or simplified, while a film like this retreats to warm pleasantries as a means of shadowing its lack of sophistication.

The film's archaic form and its wholesomeness can be attributed to the source material which belongs to another era. Vanier is working from French actress Cecile Aubrey children's novel, about a boy and his Pyrenean Mountain Dog and their adventures together. Aubrey adapted her own story into a 1960's television show, which over its thirteen episodes earned a sizeable following and gained universal cultural resonance. A Japanese anime adaptation was developed in the 1980s. Similarly, in France this was the second highest grossing film from last year. It has earned over $33 million dollars globally. Audiences may have responded to Vanier's attempts to reshape the original material. One of the major changes to the film is setting it in WWII. The historical alteration is meant to add tension to the story and to offset the sentimentality of the premise. The imbalance is still jarring because the film preferences its cornball narrative, the friendship between a boy and his dog, while sidelining the far more interesting story of people daringly escaping to Switzerland. We must ask why a narrative that is tedious and schmaltzy conceals and soft-pedals the more serious and important historical component, if only for the sake of being box-office foolproof.

Further reiterating the film's old fashioned nature is the simplicity of the plot. Sebastian (Felix Bossuet) has no family, he thinks his mother is in America, and is looked after by Cesar (Tcheky Karyo), a drunken caretaker. Cesar and his friends believe an animal they call the "beast" is dangerous and killing the wildlife. They set traps for the animal and try to hunt it down. Sebastian discovers that, surprise, the beast is a misunderstood dog and after a wash he names him Belle and hides him from Cesar. The film's subplot involves helping people across the mountains to escape to Switzerland and avoid the capture of the Nazis. The generic story recycles tired beats and messages about coming of age, overcoming our fears and loving our enemies. It is an indistinguishable companion to DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon, such is the familiarity of the narrative and how stock standard and unsurprising the characters are. Even the threat of the Third Reich brings little menace. Some might faintly praise the film for its gentility, compared to mainstream entertainment, which does little to excuse some laughably corny scenes like Belle running in slow-motion while a children's song is played over the soundtrack. What has happened to the French cinema of the past, where tough films with something to say were made, compared to the post- Amelie period of light, mass appealing crowd-pleasers? And since when does France adopt the lazy Hollywood model of refurnishing old, safe ideas, rather than challenging us with daring new ones?