Bella
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Movie Reviews of Bella
Movie Review: Can't wait to buy it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I thought the acting was fantastic! Good story. Good characters. Good morals/values overall. The family scene at dinner was wonderful - very realistic, in my experience. In fact, the whole movie was realistic, along with being uplifting. I loved the positive way the family of the main character (Eduardo Verastegui) was portrayed. They weren't "dysfunctional". They actually liked each other and had fun together!
As mentioned in another review, the movie is a bit shakey in the beginning, which I didn't like, but not enough to rate the movie lower than 4.9 stars. Also, I initially thought the girl in the beginning of the movie was the same little girl as from the main character's past - which didn't make sense, of course - because both girls looked alike and had similar hairdo's. But again, it's forgivable.
We took several of our children to see the movie (having seen it by myself first). Our 9 year old liked it, although I don't know how much she understood. The 12 and 14 year olds definitely got it and liked it. I will let them watch it again. However - the main female character IS pregnant, out of wedlock, with no father of the baby in the picture - AND - they do show a scene with her going to an abortion clinic (nothing graphic) - which may bring up some touchy subjects, so be forewarned. If you aren't ready to discuss it with your children, you may want to wait for them to see it.
Looking forward to having it in my collection!
Movie Review: Little Film With Large Ideas
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading most of the other reviews posted they seem to reitereate my feelings about "Bella". It's a celebration of everything that is good in this world. It's about personal redemption after great tragedy. It extolls the virtues of family. It glorifies the diverse ethnic fabric that makes our country great. And, yes, without a degree of heavy-handedness it persusively makes the case for the sanctity of human life in and out of the womb. At the time of it's theatrical release most of the critics dismissed the film but word of mouth made it a success for a small film of it's type. When it was in the theatres I tracked it against some of the big releases (i.e. cynical anti-American tripe) and it's grosses either came close or surpassed some of these self-important works. I think it demonstrates that even though there may be some pessimism in these dangerous times people don't want it reinforced but want to be reminded of the good things in this world. What impressed me, though, which wasn't mentioned in too many of the other reviews is the towering work of Eduardo Verastegui as Jose. Verastegui moral stoicism and piercing eyes fall in the classic movie star tradition. My understanding is that he is huge in Latin films and hopefully he can latch on in American films without compromising himself.Movie Review: Past and Future, Hope and Despair
Summary: 5 Stars
As an exercise in visual story-telling, Bella makes clever use of both flashback and flash-forward to illustrate the influences of hope and despair upon the potential redemption of the present. Director Monteverde deliberately keeps his audience in suspense as to what decision the character of Nina will make with regard to her unwanted pregnancy or if the character of Jose will ever emerge from the shadows of guilt and depression. Both the tragic and the hopeful narrative lines are kept open until the movie abruptly ends. The movie ends where it began, on the beach, but what at first seemed a tragic tale, turns out to be a hopeful new beginning for Jose, Nina, and child. We are not doomed to repeat tragic pasts (a recurring theme in Latin-American literature)but can find hope in other parts of our life experience. The character of the older brother, Manny, is the a chief antagonist early on who becomes the surprise emblem of redemption in the film's final act. My only complaint with this film is that it was too short to do justice to all of the nuanced characters we are introduced to. Nina's choice was not the only decision being made by these fascinating characters. It would have been nice for Mr. Monteverde to have taken us along on a few of their narrative strands.Movie Review: NOW this a 5-star movie for sure
Summary: 5 Stars
This is ultimately a movie about redemption, forgiving oneself and trying to follow your heart. It is not a romantic movie of a guy-meeting-a-girl-and-falling-in-love. It is a platonic love story of two people who become friends and make very important decisions based on the day they truly look into each others' hearts, see what is really inside, and reach out to find a way to help each other heal or cope.
There are so many movies out there about the biblical "life for a life premise" but this one is surely one of the best ones simply because it does not involve indulges in drugs, sex, vulgar language and persons with obvious dysfunctions of who cannot see past that and try to get ahead. It instead is just a story of a two people who are obviously struggling one to overcome past and one overwhelmed with a what to do about the future, and as they each come together in a friendship of love and trust they realize they may be able to help each other.
No, there is no true romance, but there is real soul meeting of minds here and a beautiful joining of two hearts, platonically, this is simply a story that will endure time, the best kind of story about love, one that is platonic but could lead to something deep and lasting given time.
Movie Review: Best Movie of the Year
Summary: 5 Stars
Bella is by far the best film of the year. It made me laugh, cry and think about what really matters. Sometimes it takes losing it all to discover how much you have and this beautiful little story reminds all of us to be grateful for every second we are alive. An international soccer star has everything but in one second loses it all but by losing it all he finds everything that is important: family, faith, freindship and love. This is an unusual love story because it goes much deeper than romance and it shows the healing power of sacrificial love. I am not suprised the film won the biggest festival in the world and became the #1 Rated film of 2007 by the users of the biggest film review website in the world - RottenTomatoes.
The writing, directing, acting, cinematography and soundtrack came together to make a perfect film. Celebrities from Tony Bennett to Rosie O'Donnell loved the story and counted it amongst their favorite films of the year. It also won the approval of Roger Ebert and the Smithsonian Institute, who gave it the prestigious Legacy award.
Overall, it is a heartwarming story that shows how one person can change your life forever. In my oppinion, it shows how one movie can change you forever as well.