Bella
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Movie Reviews of Bella
Movie Review: An Actor's Film
Summary: 5 Stars
In the hands of less sensitive screenwriters, BELLA might have been an explicitly religious film. It's fortunate BELLA is something more inclusive and intelligent. It's a quiet little masterpiece about loss and redemption featuring an ensemble cast that rivals those of the best independent films. In particular, Tony-nominee Tammy Blanchard delivers a performance as natural and poignant as any I've seen in years.
Bella is also beautiful because it is honestly multicultural. No formulas or stereotypes here. The director beckons us, and we enter the world of two extraordinary people and the choices they face in an impassive, lonely world. I won't give the plot away because it would be unwelcome by some readers.
If you relish movies about real love, family relationships, decency and redemption, you'll love this one. If you enjoyed TENDER MERCIES, PLACES IN THE HEART, REAL GIRLS HAVE CURVES or SMOKE SIGNALS, this film will fit you like a glove. It is also an actor's film. The camera loves virtually every member of this cast, and the performances build on visual expression as well as words.
There are those out there who champion this film for religious or political reasons, and that is unfortunate, since that may discourage a wider audience for this very worthy effort. The dignity and charm of BELLA is that a man and woman - faced with one of the most momentous choices a human can have - choose a path because they are circumspect, and view their crisis in light of their past and future lives. Neither lead character finds solace in institutions or laws.
So, if you're in the mood for a life-affirming movie filled with nuanced, sensitive performances and wonderful cultural depth and character, BELLA is for you. And I'd buy it rather than rent it, because it's a film you'll want to revisit and share with others.
Five stars.
Movie Review: Bella helps set a new standard in excellent storytelling!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have awaited the movie "Bella" for several months and I was not disappointed. This film is one of the most pleasant surprises in a movie industry that seems packed with gore, violence, stupidity, and human degradation unparalleled in the past several decades. I rarely venture to the movie theater anymore due to the slim opportunities available for a decent movie-going experience. Bella has been one of the few films to draw me to the theater and I was not disappointed.
Eduardo Verástegui plays Jose, a former soccer player who now works in his brother Manny's restaurant as a chef. Verástegui's Jose is self-contained, brooding, and mysterious. His pain is evident although it will be several scenes before we understand his withdrawal from the world that marks such a contrast with the Jose of the first scene in the movie.
Tammy Blanchard plays Nina, a waitress in Manny's restaurant. Nina is in a difficult situation which I won't give away here for those who have not seen the film. Nina's life becomes intertwined with Jose's in a moving portrayal of self-sacrifice that is rarely shown on U.S. movie screens anymore. Blanchard's Nina is desperate, tired, frustrated, and outcast. She reveals her emotions and thoughts more readily than Jose and we are allowed to see her inner workings more clearly--her disappointment with her life and her frustrated hopes for the future.
The role and importance of family, the sanctity of life, and the importance of self-sacrifice are movingly portrayed in this film yet without sentimentality or cheesiness. Strong dialogue, skillful use of silence, and excellent acting shine in a wonderfully written story. The word "bella" means beautiful. I can't think of a better title for this film.
Movie Review: The Fifteen Minute Test
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
Movie Review: I'd give it TEN stars if I could!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I had wanted to see this film in the theater, but, sadly, it was not given a real chance by the major theaters in our area, and we missed the opportunity. We now own the DVD, have watched the movie multiple times, and I have to say that "Bella" is one of the best films I have ever seen! It is a breath of fresh air in today's society - one which is plagued with overwhelming use of sex, extreme violence, gore, and profanity filling our choices on the big screen. This film has NONE of that - and for that, they deserve the highest praise!
If you really want to have the best experience of this film, I suggest that you do not read the reviews which give away most of the story. Although difficult, I have tried not to tell family and friends what the movie is about in any detail, and that is because of my own experience viewing it for the first time with no pre-conceived notions. It is powerfully moving - particularly in the places where the story turns in unexpected directions. Let yourself be "surprised" - you will not be sorry, and you will be greatly uplifted when the film has reached its conclusion.
What I WILL tell you is that this film is a great celebration of our God-given gift of life. After watching this film, many will have to give new consideration to the choices that they will make in their own lives. It explores an "angle" that may not seem popular in our present culture, but is certainly worthy of our consideration.
"Bella" is a MASTERPIECE, and no one over the age of 13 should be deprived of the opportunity to experience its message!
Movie Review: Fine Fabric, Missing Stitches
Summary: 5 Stars
The (considerable) flaws in "Bella" are largely covered by fine acting and a splendid story of mercy, kindness, and trust.
During most of the movie, we live through one day with José and Nina. (Keep this in mind as you watch.) The day is interrupted by flashes or scenes of memory and imagination. This piecemeal presentation is hard to follow at first, but very rewarding. We stay in step with José and Nina as their story unfolds.
There is a moment late in the movie when José says, "I'll call you....I'll call you, OK?" Don't let that slip by unnoticed, as I first did.
You will notice some idealizing, and the careful choice and balance of characters. You may well ponder the message of the homeless man, that delightful sidewalk seer. When it comes to design, "Bella" is more like a sonnet than a news report.
Then, the emotional intensity. Tears flow. Overdone? Maybe, but we can hardly expect English reserve in a Latino-themed film. The music contributes appropriately, sometimes very gently, to the emotional tone.
Some defects we'll just have to forgive: loose threads, imperfect seams. Bear in mind, however, that part of the fun is in what they don't show us.
"Bella" offers beauty, up-close local flavor, and a story well told. There are lots of good reasons to enjoy this film. But for me, the thing that makes "Bella" stand out is a rare vision of trustworthy love. Like a mountaintop view that calls you to a far country. Well done! And, thanks be to God.