Editorial Review: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.
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
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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A beautiful film...
If you're looking for fast-paced action, this movie isn't for you. But if you want a movie with depth of characters...something that will make you think...this is your kind of movie.
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WOW !
Why did I never hear about this award-winning movie until recently?
It was wonderfully done, powerful yet quiet, great acting (although that bushy beard was distracting). Very inspirational and with a positive message as Jose moves beyond himself and his problems to help someone else.
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Bella is bella!
Bella is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. Extremely inspiring and refreshing. Written by the director! Very inspiring and very moving. Usually movies with such dramatic themes as abortion and just slice-of-life aren't usually my cup of tea, but this film . . . is up in my top ten favorite movies list. It is not sachrinne, nor is it crass, it's real and uplifting. A must see! Much more substantial than the tripe Hollywood cranks out.
Rating: 
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Lovely Little Gem
Well acted. Well filmed. Reasonably well edited. A little contrived but the overall "message" of the movie (redemption, hope, love, etc.) creeps up on you and (by the end of the movie) is pretty insistently rising to an effervescent 'Hallelujah Chorus" of gentleness and grace.
Contrary to another reviewer's thoughts on the ending; I liked the combination of very nearly tied up loose ends and ambiguity. Hard to carry off but the movie somehow leaves you hopeful that everything works out...somehow. You're just never explicitely told how.
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An Actor's Film
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.
