'Belle' review: A dazzling 'Beauty And The Beast' anime

Belle is no stranger to belting out a song. Photos: Handout

Anime master Mamoru Hosoda makes movies that, even at their most elaborate, can reach such staggeringly emotional heights that they seem to break free of anything you're prepared for in an animated movie – or in most kinds of movies, for that matter.

Any talented Japanese filmmaker working in fantastical animation inevitably draws comparisons to the great Hayao Miyazaki. But the more appropriate touchstone for Hosoda may be Yasujiro Ozu.