Not recommended under 11, parental guidance recommended 11-13 due to violence and disturbing scenes. In French with English subtitles.
This topic contains:
Children under 11 | Not recommended due to violence and disturbing scenes; in French with English subtitles |
Children 11-13 | Parental guidance due to violence and disturbing scenes; in French with English subtitles |
Viewers aged 13 and over | OK for this age group |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Belle and Sebastian: Friends for life |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild themes and violence |
Length: | 97 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
The third and final instalment in the French series Belle and Sebastian, sees 12-year old Sebastian (Félix Bossuet) struggling with a decision by his father Pierre (Thierry Neuvic) and adoptive aunt turned step-mother Angélina (Margaux Chatelier) to move to Canada from their small village in the French Alps.
When a dark and menacing man called Joseph (Clovis Cornillac) arrives claiming ‘rightful’ ownership over Sebastian’s Pyrenean Mountain dog Belle and her new puppies, Sebastian and his adoptive grandfather César (Tchéky Karyo) are forced to do everything in their power to protect them. Sebastian takes it upon himself to hide Belle and her puppies in the mountains; but when Joseph kidnaps them, Sebastian and César (with the help of some friends) must outwit Joseph and save Belle.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Death of a parent; animal abuse; family bonds; family separation
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
There iare scary scenes of violence in this movie including:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Children in this age group may be scared by the threats of violence made against Sebastian and others.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in the film
None of concern
There are some sexual references in this movie, including:
There is some sexual activity in this movie, including:
There is some use of substances in this movie, including:
There is some coarse language in this movie, including:
Belle and Sebastian: Friends for life is the third instalment in the Belle and Sebastian story, based on the 1965 French novel by Cécile Aubry. Like the two previous films, it presents an exciting adventure, with stunning cinematography and wonderful performances by human and canine cast alike. The English subtitles and frequent frightening scenes will limit the film’s appeal to, and suitability for, under 13s, but teenagers and adults are likely to enjoy the sweet, well-paced final chapter in this series, which provides a European charm and precision.
The main messages from this movie are the importance of standing up to bullies and of fighting against inequality.
This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of movies with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy movies selected via a lower age.
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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ABN: 16 005 214 531