Belle

We have to begin with comparisons. Take, An Ideal Husband for instance, written by Oscar Wilde. The movie centers around a political law. Take also a book I just finished reading by Shannon Hale, The Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, which also has a political law included in its climax. What both of these stories had in common is that the characters in the story were directly related to whether or not the bills passed. The problem with Belle, was that the characters wanted the bill to pass, but alas, their lives really wouldn't have changed if it didn't. Which made the audience... feel tired. 

I liked most of the actors, and it was a nice movie, but it was also exactly what I was afraid it would be. Dull. I felt it thought it would be more successful because it was about a noble black woman in that day. Problem is, it was less about that and more about being bored.