When I was asked to review Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation, I was intrigued. Was this a documentary about the offspring of the 90’s indie pop band, Belle & Sebastian? Or was it a musical superhero sequel inspired by the life of said musicians? You’ll be glad (or perhaps disappointed) to know that it was neither.
Belle & Sebastian: The Next Generation is a French adventure drama about a boy and a dog. It’s a re-imagination of the 2013 film, Belle & Sebastian, which was based on the classic 1960s novel by French author Cécile Aubry titled Belle et Sébastien. (The book also inspired two movie sequels, a TV series, AND the aforementioned band’s name – so it does all kind of tie together!)
You don’t need to have seen any of the previous instalments to enjoy this film – although a few casual references may go over your head. To give you some context, the first film is set during the second world war and follows a young orphan, Sébastien, living in the French Alps. Long story short, Sébastien befriends a local livestock guardian dog, Belle, and together they help Jewish exiles across the border to Switzerland. I haven’t seen it, but it sounds like Schindler’s List meets The Sound of Music meets Babe – and what’s not to love about that?
Unlike its predecessors, Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation is set in the present day and follows ten-year-old Parisian, Sébastien as he reluctantly spends the summer on his grandmother’s sheep farm in the Pyrenees mountains. Sébastien, like his grandmother, is a little rough around the edges. He has a deep hatred of injustice and – although this is fundamentally a good quality – his vigilante solutions often spell trouble.
As you may have guessed, Sébastien’s moral compass leads him to befriend a mistreated Pyrenean Mountain Dog named Belle. This dog belongs to neighbouring farmer, Gas who – unbeknown to his girlfriend/Sébastien’s aunt, Noémie – is in the process of buying Sébastien’s family’s farm. As the bond between Sébastien and Belle grows they uncover another layer to Gas’ devious plot which threatens everything Sébastien’s family holds dear.
While the headline is an adventure between a child and a dog, the film is about love, grief, betrayal, and greed. At the beginning of the story, it’s clear that family relationships are fraught. Sébastien’s grandmother, Corinne, clearly doesn’t want him there. But, as their relationship blossoms, we uncover the root of the family’s dysfunction and Corinne begins to question her decision to sell the farm. Eventually, the various plot lines come together in a way that requires the family to reunite and fight for what they love.
Directed and co-written by Pierre Coré, the film is beautifully and thoughtfully shot. The blue skies and the idyllic sun-baked glow of the luscious greenery at the beginning gradually give way to the ruggedness of the wild mountains as the plot thickens. The full-to-the-brim orchestral score matches this sentiment. Although at times it feels a little on the nose and screams “BTW THIS IS THE BAD GUY’S SCENE”, it mostly captures and compliments the emotional journey.
The cast delivers strong performances throughout. Robinson Mensah-Rouanet offers a wonderfully raw quality as young Sébastien which compliments Michèle Laroque’s understated yet powerful performance as his hardened grandmother. Both Alice David and Caroline Anglade also bring warmth and complexity to Sebastian’s aunt and mother respectively.
Syrus Shahidi’s portrayal of the villain, Gas hints at a complicated character whose evil tendencies result from his own trauma. However, if there’s one weakness to the film, it’s that this aspect could have been fleshed out with more context. Making him an out-and-out villain would work just fine with the PG-skewing story, but revealing a more layered human with whom we can empathise despite his despicable actions could take things to the next level. The version we’re given in the film is somewhere in between which – along with the slightly abrupt, neat-bow ending – is a missed opportunity.
Overall, Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation is an enjoyable and moving film held up by a strong cast. It’s suitable for older family viewing, but some scenes and underlying themes may require you to exercise the ‘Guidance’ element of its Parental Guidance rating. If you’re not a fan of subtitles, you should give this one a swerve. But if you like your popcorn with a side of heartwarming – if albeit slightly predictable – drama, you’re good to go.
Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation will be released in Australian cinemas on June 29
To watch the official Australian trailer click here.
