Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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123 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Film That May Move You To Tears, December 1, 2007
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.
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71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Fifteen Minute Test, May 6, 2008
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!
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94 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Two Hearts Beat as One", January 4, 2008
(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)
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