Amazon.com: 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
Product description: 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.
Bella is beautiful This film, which was done by nobody I had ever heard of, and without a huge budget still manages to captivate and draw you in with fine performances by all and a great story line. I love the celebration of family which is at the heart of this movie. For me, the ending, although very lovely, lacked something, some element of surprise, perhaps. One national reviewer said she wept at the last, and for all the wonderful sentiment expressed here I did not. I have enjoyed it thoroughly, though. As charming as it is, this is way more than a feel good movie. It is a film that gently makes you think and feel about what it means to be a human being, to love and live life not just for the moment, but for always.
Delightful movie I watched this movie for the first time last night- what a wonderful movie. It pleases on all levels - beautiful actors, beautiful shots of food in the restaurant, and a down-to-earth story. Both Tammy and Jose have personal secrets they are dealing with as best they can - she a pregnancy and he an event from his past. When Nina is fired by Jose's brother Manny, the two of them end up spending the day together and what a day it is. This film is filled with many beautiful warm, touching moments. You come away from this film feeling warm and happy - and with the knowledge that good basic movies built on the premise of love, redemption and friendship are still being made. Bravo Bella!
great story, realistic characters This is a great story about the value of life, family, and friendship. Jose has a deep hurt from his past and has been depressed. As he reaches out to help Nina, he finds healing for his life too. I like how they showed a family, that even though they had problems, they loved each other and supported each other. This is one of my favorite movies.
Truth There aren't many movies made today that portray true love. This movie is about more than romance. It's about self-sacrificing love. Agape.
"God closed my eyes. Now I can see." A young woman and her male co-worker walk through the busy streets of New York City. As they approach a homeless man selling paper animals, they notice he is blind. The homeless man asks the woman to describe what she sees on the street in return for a free paper animal. She looks back and begins cynically illustrating what is going on. People are busy; they're hectic; they're like a moving clock, all moving fast and doing their own thing, not noticing one another.
"I wish I could see that," says the smiling blind man.
This, in a scene, describes what director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde is driving at throughout Bella. In this world, everyone has multiple options. There is often the view that we can look at the world as dark and full of despair and focus on what we don't have, or we can look at the world through the lens of joy, opting to view our daily struggles as a chance for hope to find us.
Bella is a lovely film, which, although at times heavily character-driven, leaves the viewer better off for having watched it. Some might consider it a political or agenda-driven film. I didn't see it that way at all. To me, Bella represents another voice in a world, which largely projects one option, and this new voice is one that refreshingly offers hope to everyone in a very non-intrusive way.
You can make a case for this being considered a God film. If you did, however, you would first have to admit that this is the first such film done in a way that leaves us victimized neither by a Christian agenda nor by the pathetic waves of poorly crafted screenplay and underlying thought. For me, I was actually happy when I finished watching Bella, and considering the new barrage of independent films with dark subtext, that is a rarity.
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