Bella
An international soccer star (Eduardo Verastegui) is on his way to sign a multimillion dollar contract when something happens that brings his career to an abrupt end. A beautiful waitress (Tammy Blanchard), struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she’s unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down…until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. Life is a complicated journey in which right and wrong are sometimes indistinct and where the things that really matter are often unclear. Bella is a powerful, leisurely-paced film in which Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) and Nina (Tammy Blanchard) struggle to do what’s right while seeking meaning in their lives. A quiet, brooding man with a dark past, Jose works as a chef in his brother Manny’s (Manny Perez) restaurant where he mostly keeps to himself until young waitress Nina is fired. Touched by Manny’s unfair treatment of Nina, Jose impulsively leaves work to follow Nina and spends a day with her where he discovers that she is pregnant and alone. The two become incredibly close in the space of a day, sharing their pasts, feelings, and fears, and a lasting friendship is born. As Nina struggles with her pregnancy options and Jose comes to terms with a horrific incident from his past, the pair’s newfound friendship aids in growth and healing. In the end, Jose and Nina’s lives become permanently intertwined in a most beautiful and unexpected way. Bella is a moving, introspective film that will inspire serious personal reflection. –Tami Horiuchi
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(out of 191 reviews)
Review by R. DelParto for Bella
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BELLA is one of those unpredictable films that usually may not get noticed amidst an array of movie choices to watch. As the title states, it is a film about love that is deeply rooted love between friends and family. And it is a film about living, then losing, but regaining the American dream; we see the dream lived by one Puerto Rican-Mexican American family, which reveals their rich culture of family, food, language, and religion. Although most of the film is spoken in English, there are a few scenes in Spanish accompanied with subtitles. And it is fitting that the film takes place within the so-called melting pot that is New York City.
BELLA runs a little over 90 minutes, but there are plenty of complexities within the storyline. The film also confronts the issue of perceptions, and how people perceive one another without complete communication. As the film proceeds, the character’s stories are intricately told in quick snapshots. The most interesting aspect of the film is how it starts at a fast pace revealing fragments of the main characters’ lives, Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), a Chef, and Nina (Tammy Blanchard), a waitress, who work for Jose’s brother, Manny (Manny Perez). One day Nina is 20 minutes late for work because she was very ill; unfortunately she gets fired without having to completely explain her situation — she’s pregnant. And this incident begins the film, and Nina’s constant pondering of what to do with the rest of her life, keep the child or abort it, and Jose confronting his demons of a past life he left behind four years ago.
There are plenty of moving scenes in the film that tug at the heartstrings. However, there are two scenes that stood out. One of them is when Nina and Jose walk along the street and talk to a blind man who makes paper origami figures, and offers Nina a figure that looks like a frog. Not knowing that he is blind, it is only when he asks Nina to describe to him what the city streets look like, that she realizes his blindness, and the second is the surprise ending of the film. It is scenes like these that make the littlest or biggest tokens of kindness more meaningful in one’s life.
Alejandro Gomez Monteverde wrote and directed Bella, and the film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. After watching the film, it is worthy of an Academy Award nomination as well. Indeed, this is a gem of a film that any movie viewer may want to get a glimpse because of its excellent storytelling and film making.
Review by Eric Wilson for Bella
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On a whim, my wife and I checked out this movie in the theaters a few months ago–and loved it. So we brought it home on DVD tonight to watch with our teen daughter and her boyfriend. “What’s it about?” she wanted to know. I tried to explain it was about a Mexican soccer star who’s done jail time, and a NY waitress who’s pregnant and loses her job…And then I said, “Just watch it with us. If you’re bored to tears after fifteen minutes, then go do something else.”
This litmus test seemed to work. We sat through the movie, laughing, getting teary-eyed, and warmed by this story’s simple passion and grace. “Bella” is shot with great love for its characters. Even the unlikeable ones become special by the end. Following mostly one day in the lives of Jose (soccer-star-turned-chef) and Nina (waitress-and-expecting), it’s hard not to become wrapped up in their pasts, their burdens, their hopes, and their hesitant dreams. Together, they build upon a friendship that will give them both a chance at redemption. The way these elements come together is subtle and magical.
From the humorous scenes around the dinner table, to the heart-wrenching flashback, to the understated conclusion, “Bella” is near perfection. Watching it a second time, I was awed by the gentle economy of every shot, every scene, and each facial expression. While I loved “Juno” for its edge and endless wit, “Bella” deals with the issue of unwanted pregnancy too, and does so with its own unique charm.
In the last year, this has to rate in my top five favorite films. It’s a film the whole family can watch, though much of its sensitivity will be better appreciated by those who have lived a few years and faced some of life’s struggles. What a joy!
Review by Rocky Raccoon for Bella
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(3 1/2 *’s) `Bella’ is a tight and tense love story. Tenderly executed and tightly edited, two romantic protagonists are wounded by their pasts. Jose’ (Eduardo Verástegui) is from a Mexican-Puerto Rican household, and Nina (Tammy Blanchard) works as a waitress at the same New York City restaurant as he does. They both are under the authority of Manny, (Manny Perez) Jose’s brother, whose sergeant major sensibilities are only understandable when considering the make or break existence of any NYC family business.
She is expecting. Suffering from morning sickness, she is tardy or absent from her waitress post. Having little time for tolerance, Manny fires her without due process. Seeming to have less at stake, Jose follows her and tries to find and give her understanding. He is able to soothe her with badly needed tenderness in her own life. We discover that her boyfriend requires an abortion, a prospect that brings both resignation and tears to her eyes. In the meantime, Jose’ has had a tragic past with a young child in his own life. Previously, a city soccer star, Jose’ is forced to work for Manny whose martinet demeanor make anything after soccer a viable alternative. As she is introduced to Jose’s family, they side with Manny until Jose’s preference gives the family time to warm up and get to know her better.
“Bella” is a wonderful, haunting little movie. The chemistry between the couple is marvelous to watch from its fruition, and the way they come to terms with their difficult situations make the movie a cathartic and heartwarming movie experience. (Written and Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde)
Review by Isaac Police for Bella
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Of all the movies, I saw in 2007, Bella was by far my favorite. It is arguably the best independent film I’ve ever seen. With too many glowing compliments like these, it could be easy for this movie to fall victim to expectations that were just too high. This is an independent movie, a labor of love that was made at just about $3 million. A friend who had seen it told me, “The acting isn’t perfect. The script isn’t perfect. But you leave the movie a better person. It is a love story without a romance.” That is a pretty good review in a nutshell, and lowered my expectations just enough to be completely impressed by the acting and story in Bella. The conclusion is sublime. This movie resonates in your soul long after you leave the theater. That is a rare accomplishment. So while it is not of the highest filmmaking caliber, this movie continues to capture the hearts of audiences, already grossing $7 million (in a very limited release) and winning the Toronto International Film Festival’s only honor, the People’s Choice Award. (Notable past recipients include Hotel Rwanda, Whale Rider, Amelie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life is Beautiful. An impressive track record of inspiring movies.) That is where the awards ended though. It is sad that such a unique movie has received such little mainstream attention and recognition. It would be very easy to let this movie slip by, but I encourage you to seek it out.
In case you haven’t already heard, Bella is the story of a waitress that finds out she is pregnant and the cook who tries to convince her to have the baby. The themes of the movie are definitely Christian, but I’m hesitant to call it a “Christian movie” because it is not sappy or preachy or inhabited by black and white characters. It is a human movie. It is real and authentic with complex characters who each struggle with their brokenness. I went in expecting to like this movie because of what it stood for. I left loving it because of its quality. The cinematography deserves to be singled out. Intimate, gorgeous lensing lends itself to the story with subtle beauty. For a feature film debut, director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde deserves to be applauded.
I think the perfect way to experience Bella would be to have about 3 friends over for dinner, eat rich food, watch the movie, and discuss your thoughts afterward over a glass of wine. My wife is also planning to use it with our church’s youth group when it is finally released on DVD. Bella will uplift you and make you think about providence at the same time. It takes the expression “Everything happens for a reason” and makes it visible on film.
Review by Noreen Johnson for Bella
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Eduardo Verastegui, the lead actor of Bella, won MovieGuides Best Actor Award and the film won the Best picture award because the story and the performances were incredible. The story is one of the most powerful i have ever seen and the lead actors (Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard) did an unbelievable job portraying these complex and beautiful characters. I believe that the directing and cinematography are two of the reasons Bella won the Peoples Choice Award and the Smithsonian Institutes Legacy Award.
This is the type of film that slowly gets into your heart and mind and lives with you forever. I do not want to tell too much about the story line because the power of the movie is in the unexpected twists and turns, especially the suprise ending.
This little film has a big heart and it has changed the lives of many people, including mine. There are alot of great films but not all of them move people to tears, make them laugh and cause them to think about what is important in life.