Not grand, but not pathetic either
These days, people are too used to B-Christian movies that try to show life as a happy-go-lucky thing that doesn't portray life's struggles very well. Even I've seen them (and got bored quickly of them). So, hearing about how good Bella is, I also heard of how flawed and imperfect it was, so I didn't expect it to really grab my attention immedaitely. But when it would, I expected it to never let go. It didn't.
People claim it's anti-abortion, yet the woman who's pregnant says something that throws that possibility out the window- a line that tells a friendly man trying to help her that it's supposed to be her choice whether she wants to the baby or get rid of it. And, throughout the movie, we see her struggle between wanting to keep it ... Read More
Good movie w/ great message!
Besides the 70's camera work, this is a well-written and well-done movie. A prolife message with real American values. I would recommend it for the whole family. No language. No sex. No violence.
A poignant, masterful film
Bella is one of the better films I've seen this year. It has that ellusive mix of visual beauty, a unique voice, and masterful acting and character development that makes a movie both intellectually and emotionally engaging.
The subject is also close to my heart and life-affirming - a good family movie for a those with teenage children (and above)
Some of my friends who watched it were a bit disturbed by the obtuse flashback (or flash-forward) in the middle of the film, but I felt it had just the right level of ambiguity to keep the end of the film a surprise.
But then, I like ambiguity in films.
Wonderful, redemptive movie I highly recommend to those who want to own a library of thought-provoking and culturally inclusive ... Read More
Second chances
This a wonderful film about friendship, humanity and decency at the unexpected moment for all protagonists of the story. We see Jose, working in his brother's restaurant kitchen, surrounded by immigrants from Central and South America. One of the waitresses has been having difficulty showing up to work on time and after being late three days in a row, restaurant owner (Jose's brother Manny) fires her. Everyone is stunned by the unexpected firing but even more when the restaurant chef walks out from the kitchen minutes before lunch hour rush. Jose inexplicably follows young woman and they confide to each other. We get to learn that young waitress is pregnant by a man she does not love and has no resources or family to help her hold onto the child. ... Read More
Terrible Ending
I enjoyed the first half. I like it when movies present the viewer with disparate pieces from different times, and they all slowly drift together. The acting is good, and the story was interesting. In the second act, everything just starts becoming too neat and tidy, too predictable, too sickeningly sweet. I'm all for nice movies that make you feel warm and fuzzy, but what they did here was rob the movie of any believability. And that ending... wow. Just terrible. Incredibly forced, not backed up by previous plot events at all, just a blatant attempt at saccharine manipulation. Just a complete non sequitur clumsily shoe-horned in for a lame grab at some unearned audience tears.
