Bella is without doubt one of the least apologetic blendings of heartfelt intentions, cinematic manipulation, and ultra sentimentality that I have seen in some time.
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05/19/08
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Bella (2007)
47 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 58
Fresh: 27
Rotten:31
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Consensus: Critics labeled Bella as a simplistic and mostly pedestrian, but positive word of mouth gave this tiny indie surprising theatrical legs.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: BELLA opens with a flashback to a confident young man named Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) who is poised to become a major soccer star. The film then flashes forward to the present day, and we see Jose working as a chef in his brother Manny's (Manny... [More]
Starring: Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Ali Landry
Director: Alejandro Monteverde
Reviews for Bella
This is not a weepy, but a story about healing, forgiveness and redemption.
04/11/08
Bella is mostly harmless, feel-good fare, and not unlike a TV movie of the week in depth. And you could take your old granny with you to see it, without fear.
04/11/08
From the quiet performances to the sensitive direction, everything about this movie is convincing except the very story that drives it.
04/10/08
Bella is an irrefutably effortless and heartwarming film, another indie gem with a deep soul and a beautiful message.
02/28/08
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02/15/08
It's more of a life story than a love story. It's also a story that would play just as well if you waited to see this on the small screen.
11/28/07
Its anti-abortion argument is loaded: How many pregnant waitresses discover they've been working alongside a kind, sensitive and handsome former millionaire soccer star with no girlfriend who's happy to become an adoptive father?
11/26/07
An inspirational ethnic soap opera story about two damaged sensitive souls coming together in a stressed-out New York City.
11/17/07
Through the bog of clichés in director/co-writer Alejandro G. Monteverde's melodrama, the flinty reality of Blanchard's performance shines.
11/16/07
Bella turns out to be a clumsy message movie, one that leaves a lingering bad taste, whatever your beliefs regarding its highly divisive subject, abortion.
11/15/07
Bella is a (...) parable of remorse and redemption, a tale of two damaged souls who end up helping each other find release from their tragic pasts.
11/14/07
Tender and intelligent, "Bella" simply shines as one of the finest movies of 2007.
11/13/07
Bella is certainly a sweet, life-affirming picture, but it's just not authentic or captivating enough to justify its wildly concocted scenario.
11/09/07
Top Critic
This is, first and foremost, an actors' showcase, and the entire ensemble delivers.
11/09/07
Alejandro Gomez Monteverde's first feature may have more heart than head, but it's also just as interesting for what it leaves out of its romantic story as for what it retains.
11/09/07
It wants to answer the questions it's clearly too timid to ask, but the questions are always so much more interesting.
11/09/07
Bella expends so much effort hiding its agenda that it doesn't have time to give us a story until the very end.
11/09/07
Latest News for Bella
November 03, 2007:
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