Why Janelle From The Whole Truth Looks So Familiar
By Christopher Ramos
Gugu Mbatha-Raw got her first starring role in the feature film "Belle", which tells the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the daughter of an African slave and a British naval officer. In the 18th century period film, Dido is raised by her great aunt and uncle alongside a cousin, Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gadon). Although she is considered a free woman, Dido struggles with her status in society due to her mixed race.
Dido's guardian Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), a lawyer, takes on the infamous Gregson vs. Gilbert case — also known as the Zong massacre, in which hundreds of African slaves on an overcrowded ship suffered from disease and starvation. The ship's captain had the dying slaves thrown overboard, and later attempted to claim insurance for the loss. When she hears about this terrible event, Dido assists her great-uncle with the case. While working together with Murray, she meets his pupil, John Davinier (Sam Reid), and the two fall madly in love. The situation is complicated, however, because her great-uncle refuses to allow them to marry — not to mention that Dido is engaged to another man.
"Belle" was a critical success and was nominated for many awards, as was Raw for her impressive performance. She won Best Actress at the British Independent Film Awards and the Black Reel Awards, and was nominated for Best Newcomer in the Empire Awards and Most Promising Performer by the Chicago Film Critics Association.
