Belle & Sebastian

Belle and Sebastian, initially an excellent novel written by Cécile Aubry, has been adapted in movie by Nicolas Vanier. This beautiful and charming story makes a perfect family movie. Children as well as adults can enjoy it!

First, the story takes place during the WWII in the French Alps. Sebastian is a 6 year young boy, raised by his adopted grandfather. This little adventurer spends much time in the nature, playing with all it offers. One day, some sheep are found attacked. Everybody thinks that's a cruel and dangerous animal but during a walk, Sebastian meets this mysterious beast. It appears that it is a dog, a so cute dog that the boy recalled 'Belle'. At this moment, an unequaled friendship has just begun. Unfortunately, the determinate grandfather and his band have to kill the dog. Sebastian is so hungry with it and takes care of his best friend in secret. The boy will prove that the dog is not a bad animal the day it saves a life.

That lovely relation between a dog and a child is really pleasant for those who want to see a piece of sweet in this violent world period. In fact, we can also feel the strong atmosphere of occupation in that movie. A good point is definitely the beautiful mountainous landscapes. If you are fond of nature, you should be filled with Belle and Sebastian. We also have to notice the performance of Félix Bossuet, the young Sebastian who's particularly effective in his role.

In a word, I really recommend you this movie, a French one, something different than the full effects American movies. We sometimes need to see and enjoy simple things as a true friendship.

Adapted from the classic children's books by Cecile Aubrey - who also gave the name to one of the best band's ever, Scotland's own, 'Belle and Sebastian, we have a tale of a young boy and a dog. Well there is a bit more to it, as it is set in the Pyrenees during World War II. Sebastian befriends a run away dog and together they go off and have loads of adventures, face danger and stand up to the nasty Nazi's.

We also have the French resistance lots of snow, some songs so sugary they must be bad for your teeth and some subliminal messages to children about being nice to each other and getting an education - preferably in a school.

This is a great film for children - especially if learning French and might get them to start watching World cinema which can be no bad thing. It is very well made and the dog is as cute as a kitten in a bomber jacket. Add to that the mild adventure and you have all the ingredients for a classic. In French with a small amount of German and good sub titles; they are actually already making the follow up to this so that will be one to look out for soon.

A review of this film by a guy actually named Sébastien because her mother liked the 60's TV series so much, what a concept! So this film is based on a children's novel by Cécile Aubry telling the story of a friendship between a young boy called Sébastien and a big white dog named Belle living in a small French village in the mountains in 1943. Before watching the film, I was only familiar with the anime version of the 80's that I loved, so I cannot evaluate how faithful it is to the original novel. My impression and Wikipedia tell me that a few creative freedoms were taken. So, we hear about a "beast" in the mountains killing sheep. Sébastien lives with his grandfather César and spends most of his time outdoors. It's revealed quite soon that the "beast" in question is actually a big dog that was beaten up by his former master, fled and became wild. Not that wild since Sébastien discovers the dog and quickly befriends her in secret, although the dog is still hunted and in constant danger of being killed by the villagers. Sébastien eventually names her "Belle" because once cleaned up, she's so beautiful. Of course, there's also a play on the Beauty and the Beast theme, la Belle et la Bête, that Sébastien probably never read. Not initially related but eventually becoming important, is that France is occupied by the Germans, and there's a clandestine operation by the French passing Jew refugees over the mountains to reach another country. There are regular visits by the Germans in the nearby village and they want to stop this.

So, I found the movie rather peaceful and relaxing with beautiful mountainous landscapes. Contrary to what another review says, there is a story and even a few mysteries such as what happened to Sébastien's mother, who's helping the Jews and the true motivations of a few characters. I loved Belle, she was expressive and she looked like I what I envisioned she should in real life. I didn't like the actor Sébastien so much. Yes, he's cute, but a few times, there was a little something off in the way he played. It didn't seem all natural for lack of better explanation. The relationship between him and Belle was mostly fine, but there was some chemistry missing. I sometimes felt some kind of "disconnect" between him and her. The other adult actors were adequate, except for the doctor that I found bland, and the German lieutenant that I found more interesting than the rest. In fact, I liked how ambiguously he was portrayed.

The animal sequences didn't particularly impress me, as it sometimes felt as if they were filmed separately, although they were real animals. Scenes of danger, especially the last one, felt a bit awkwardly filmed. At one point, there was a song sung by Sébastien in the background that I found very corny, but it might be my cynical adult side complaining. The couple of other songs sung by an adult woman fared better, but I would have preferred just poignant music instead. I don't really remember the soundtrack otherwise. I wish I would have been moved emotionally by the film, but I wasn't really, although I found a few sequences charming. So maybe it's nostalgia for the old cartoon talking, but for me, this adaptation, although competent enough, seemed to lack a certain magic. I'd recommend it for big dog lovers. As an aside, my girlfriend, not familiar with the story, liked the film much better than I did.

Rating: 6 out of 10 (good)

Belle and Sebastian may also be the name of a band or an appliance brand but this review deals with the recent French film by that name. In it, a boy and his fluffy white dog save Jewish refugees from the Nazi occupation of France by leading them over the French Alps into Switzerland. Why don't the soldiers just follow them into unarmed Switzerland and take back the escapees is a good question for your history teacher. Beyond the honoring of true-life heroic acts taken by the French resistance, the movie is also an excuse to film some stunning visuals in the boy's largely vertical world. Within this world some sad and sophisticated things happen (including a least 2 double-crosses) so clearly this isn't an American children's picture. Some sad stuff happens as well but not as much as you expect for a French film. The acting is overwrought at times but generally very good - the dog is excellent. In short, worth taking your older children to and having them learn something.

If you have a child who has never seen a foreign film, this would be a great one to start with! Belle and Sebastian is a French movie, by Nicholas Vanier, with English subtitles.

Belle and Sebastian is about a young boy, Sebastian and the friendship he makes with Belle, a large dog. She is being blamed for killing the sheep in the village. In fact, the villagers call her "the beast."

The movie is set in Nazi-occupied France. There are refugees in the village always escaping at night over the snow-covered mountains into Switzerland. Sebastian is told to stay away from both this part of the mountain and "the beast." But, he can't resist. He finds and tries to protect "the beast," who he names Belle.

Sebastian meets up with Belle every day and they run in the fields and play in the snow. He shows her places to hide from the angry villagers and from the German Nazi soldiers. She is Sebastian's friend and he believes that it is not her who is killing the sheep. The scenery in this film is incredible! The snow-covered mountains, grassy hillsides, waterfalls, rocks and panoramic vistas will take your breath away. There are lots of aerial shots in the film that make you wish you lived in France.

Parents should know that there is some drinking, lying and cursing, but the characters are trying to do their best given the given circumstances. It can't be easy having your little village be taken over by soldiers. Over-all, the message this movie gives is a good one. "Protect your friends and always try to do the right thing." I recommend this movie for ages ten to eighteen. This is a great age level to introduce appreciation of sub-titled movies. I give Belle and Sebastian four out of five stars for amazing scenery and great acting.