Bella (DVD, 2008)

Bella is a beautifully rendered film about the consequences of fear and suffering and eventual surrender and personal and spiritual "redemption." Exquisitely written, acted and executed, this small film is a welcome addition to the dvd library of anyone who doesn't resonate with car crashes and mainstream Hollywood generic product. It's also a rare film that doesn't feed into ethnic or cultural stereotypes. Highly recommended.

It is wonderful to see a movie promote adoption rather than the politically correct solution. I highly recommend this movie for all audiences.

I truly loved this DVD. I watched it once, and then I watched it with the commentary, which was really enlightening. Sometimes we get caught in group thinking, that we have to get out of our problems and not face them, whether it be an abortion or hiding in self pity like the two characters here. The movie presents these two characters who solved the problems together. What a precious movie!

Bella is a wonderful film about a Mexican-American family, and two brothers who work in a restaurant, one of whom lost his potential great career after a tragic accident. The latter brother shows concern about a young waitress at the restaurant, played superbly by Tammy Blanchard, who is pregnant in the film and must decide about the baby. The ending strikes a strong emotional chord.

The movie was an engaging story that causes one to think about the value of human life. It evoked various emotions, sorrow, laughter, compassion, and redemption, which are part of the human life. The movie leaves one feeling emotionally fulfilled and the reality that a single human life is priceless.

BEST film I've seen in years. Very thought provoking and beautifully filmed. Also enjoyed the score. Look forward to seeing more work from these folks. And let me say it's the best portrayal of Hispanics I've EVER seen. Highest recommendation for "Bella"

I begged my twenty year old son to watch this movie. He hemmed and hawed and hemmed and hawed. I would not tell him what it was about. He finally relented and now I hear him.. my 20 Year old soon to be Marine, telling friends they must see this film. It is a great family movie for anyone with teenagers. I only disliked one part because I felt it came in the movie at the wrong time and confused me and could have been put later in the film... a sorta flashback but the film is marvelous .. Eduardo is welcome to my house anyday for Dinner, lunch or breakfast and we would attend Mass together.. I felt this movie was definetly under the guidance of higher powers and I hope this marvelous team can make more movies. Just keep Ali Larter out of them since she is the wife of the director.. she is not that great of an actress and could hurt them in the long run if they use her too much. The actress in this movie.. INCREDIBLE.

I bought this movies because I had seen it at the theater and thought it was a wonderful story. It is uplifting, charming and a movie that makes you feel good about people and life. I highly recommend it.

Bella is one of my all time favorite movies. It takes on some very controversial and important subjects. It's done tastefully, artistically, and with a nice warmth. It's the kind of movie that leaves you feeling better about humanity in general, and those are very rare these days.

I loved the movie because it expresses very well that there are alternatives to abortion, that there's always a way out that may be a good one. You never know if in the future you will change your mind on the decision made or regret it. It shows that if you do change your mind afterwards that the "story" can have a happy ending by being able to make amendments. If your decision was not a good one, you can't turn back time.
I decided to buy it not knowing what it was about. I just read that it was a good family movie. I'm really happy I bought it.

It was an excellent movie in which preborn life was valued. The movie did not contain bad language, etc. It was a movie everyone could watch.

This movie is a great movie! It is a bit heavy, so be prepared. It came from the seller in great condition and played fine.

I like this movie because it shows you that good things can happen even after a traggedy. Our life may not turn out as we planned or hoped it would. Life happens, just hang in there cause it can be even more rewarding than we ever expected.

Bella pulls it off as far as being graceful and full of eternal values of pure friendship and selfless love. Samantha is a very talented actress and Eduardo and Manny played their parts very convincingly-Manny making you dislike him and Eduardo making any girl want such a sweet,loving guy with no ulterior motives-are there such men?? The Latinos want us to believe so,and this movie makes that point clear. There are some strange jumps from future to present and back again with no explanation as to what happened towards the end, but it's a very good enjoyable movie that will make you cry. I bought it for my daughter and Mexican son-in-law who are about to have their first baby and need the Lord in their lives.

I loved the message this movie is sending. It is a wonderful story that carries a powerful message is this world we are living today. It teaches us the things that should be important in our lives. The actors are so moving. I highly recommend it to people looking for a wonderful, loving, caring movie.

I love this movie as it depicts Mexican-Americans in a way I have not been
exposed to- it is a film with deep social conscience and reverence for life.
It also touches on the love and caring for people in such a way rarely seen in
other films. Bella is truly a "beautiful" story. I wish more people would see it.

this movie is very impressive. It is highly recommended for the young adults.

Being pregnant is unavoidable and understandable, but to kill a child is evil.
The lesson in this movie is highly recommendable to those who made a mistake once but rise up to make the mistake a blessing.

Money was taken through PayPal and merchandise was never received. PayPal investigated and states fraud was involved and there was no money in account so I am out 24.98!! Live and Learn

Enjoyed the movie but the writing could have been a little better. The end left you wanting to know more about their lives. I bought it because my sister had seen it and raved about it! It is worth watching.

THE MOVIE WAS GOOD IT HAD GREAT MUSIC THROUGHOUT. IT DEFINITELY COULD HAVE HAD A BETTER ENDING. IT LOST ME TOWARDS THE END, WHICH IS RARE. BUT I ENJOYED THE ACTORS INVOLVED. ALI LANDRI WAS SENSATIONAL AS ALWAYS. I MET HER WHEN SHE WAS DATING MARIO LOPEZ...SHE DID GOOD GETTING RID OF HIM. LOL. ANYWAY THIS IS A MOVIE YOU MUST WATCH A FEW TIMES THEN SELL. TOUCHING AND INSPIRING. CARGAWD
5-16-08

BELLA is one of those unpredictable films that usually may not get noticed amidst an array of movie choices to watch. As the title states, it is a film about love that is deeply rooted love between friends and family. And it is a film about living, then losing, but regaining the American dream; we see the dream lived by one Puerto Rican-Mexican American family, which reveals their rich culture of family, food, language, and religion. Although most of the film is spoken in English, there are a few scenes in Spanish accompanied with subtitles. And it is fitting that the film takes place within the so-called melting pot that is New York City.

BELLA runs a little over 90 minutes, but there are plenty of complexities within the storyline. The film also confronts the issue of perceptions, and how people perceive one another without complete communication. As the film proceeds, the character's stories are intricately told in quick snapshots. The most interesting aspect of the film is how it starts at a fast pace revealing fragments of the main characters' lives, Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), a Chef, and Nina (Tammy Blanchard), a waitress, who work for Jose's brother, Manny (Manny Perez). One day Nina is 20 minutes late for work because she was very ill; unfortunately she gets fired without having to completely explain her situation -- she's pregnant. And this incident begins the film, and Nina's constant pondering of what to do with the rest of her life, keep the child or abort it, and Jose confronting his demons of a past life he left behind four years ago.

There are plenty of moving scenes in the film that tug at the heartstrings. However, there are two scenes that stood out. One of them is when Nina and Jose walk along the street and talk to a blind man who makes paper origami figures, and offers Nina a figure that looks like a frog. Not knowing that he is blind, it is only when he asks Nina to describe to him what the city streets look like, that she realizes his blindness, and the second is the surprise ending of the film. It is scenes like these that make the littlest or biggest tokens of kindness more meaningful in one's life.

Alejandro Gomez Monteverde wrote and directed Bella, and the film won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. After watching the film, it is worthy of an Academy Award nomination as well. Indeed, this is a gem of a film that any movie viewer may want to get a glimpse because of its excellent storytelling and film making.

Great Seller. Would buy again in a heart beat. Fast shipping and great commuincation. And overall solid performance.

This is an amazing story of sacrifice, love and commitment. I promise you will never look at life the same.

Bella is the most beautiful movie ever. It is about forgiveness, redemption, second chances, saving a life. I cried with joy when the final scene came on. Thank God the message being being communicated was that a baby's life has value even before birth.