Bella (2007) Review

Netflix lets you download and instantly watch some films, so we looked one night and found Bella. I didn't know anything about it but it turned out to be a good movie with an interesting perspective and a kind romantic heart at its center.

Bella starts a little moodily, with a shot of a creepy-looking guy watching children on a beach. Hmmm... It quickly cuts to a guy who has just landed a big contract with a soccer team, as he heads out the door on the way to a press conference to announce the contract. Then it turns into something that could be called Nina's Bad Day. Nina (Tammy Blanchard) is a waitress who is having a hard time getting to the upscale restaurant where she works in New York City. She tells Manny the boss (Manny Perez) that she isn't feeling well but that excuse can get her through just so many days. Manny fires Nina, but the creepy bearded guy is there and he tries to comfort Nina. Turns out that the bearded guy, Jose (played by Eduardo Verasteagui), is the master chef at the fancy restaurant and that he is the hot-shot soccer player from earlier in the film. Jose flees the restaurant with Nina and learns that she is pregnant -- that's why she hasn't been feeling well in the mornings.

The rest of the day is a slice of interesting life in New York City with Jose and Nina, Jose's parents and the slow explanation of why Jose the hot-shot soccer player is now Jose the creepy-looking introverted chef. There are a couple of harrowing flashbacks that fill out the details and a sweet ending that explains the name of the film.

I liked Bella quite a bit. I had no idea where it was going and was pleasantly surprised to be taken deep into Mexican-American culture. The story was good, the acting was excellent, the characters were likable and the film's structure kept me guessing about where Bella was headed for quite a while. Then the ending was satisfyingly clear. Tammy Blanchard was particularly good as Nina, a single woman living alone in New York City with plenty of street sass but her bravado only goes so far -- after all, she's 30-ish, single, pregnant and out of a job. All these play across Nina's face and are demonstrated by her body language. It's an excellent performance by Blanchard.

Finally, there is a conflict in the film about whether Nina should have an abortion. Many people make hard choices every day and I refuse to stand between a woman and what she must choose to do. I respect Nina's choice in Bella, as I respect other hard choices by people who know their circumstances better than I do. I don't see Bella as being about whether someone should have an abortion or not -- I see it as a fine film about how people cope with difficult decisions and who must live with events that are not always ours to choose.

Lest you think that Bella is dreary and depressing, it is actually witty, romantic and uplifting. I recommend Bella.