DJAkin When Erin loaned me this movie, I was unsure of what to expect. The cover of it has the handsome Eduardo Verástegui as the star and I was expecting this movie to be more of a "chick flick". However, I started watching with an open mind and my suspicions were quickly put to rest. This movie had more of an "independent movie" feel to it.I liked this movie and Jose, the main character - was a joy to watch. At first, it shows him with short hair and just some stubble. Then fast forward many years and there he is in a kitchen as a chef with a huge beard and long hair. His older brother (I think it's his older brother) is named Manny. At first I really hated Manny for firing his waitress, Nina for being late. But I grew to like him later on. Speaking of Nina, I really liked her also. She seemed like a great fit for Jose. There was a good connection between the two but they never really did more than just hang out with each other. I liked the family dynamic of Jose's family. I was very much expecting a LOT more drama in this movie than there actually was. Sure, Jose killed that girl by accident in his car, but this movie did not dwell on that too badly. I've seen other movies which have such a thing happen and the remainder of the movie is painful to watch. When I watched BELLA, I was feeling good more than bad. Why? Because there was more happiness in this movie than tragedy.I am guessing that at the end of the movie, Jose agreed to watch over the baby, who I assume is named Bella, while Nina got her life pieced back together. The last part of the movie has Nina meeting her child for the first time. It was touching.Again, this movie was NOT a dramatic movie like CRASH by any means. It was just a slice of life movie where the interaction between the characters was enjoyable to watch, specifically Jose and Nina, The Mother and Non English speaking father - and Jose's brothers. I am glad that Erin suggested this movie to me.

r-albury This movie is amazing! One of my all time favourites! It is a truly heart- warming film with lovable characters that the audience can relate to. There are moments of humour and of sadness and the soundtrack supplements each scene perfectly. Nina, an unmarried waitress, finds out that she is pregnant and the father never enters into the picture (both literally and figuratively). She has no idea what to do with a baby and weighs her options. Jose, the chef at the restaurant, runs after her when she is fired and becomes her support system, her shoulder to cry on. Jose has his own secrets which he slowly reveals to Nina, and the audience, as the film progresses. It is a movie for any audience and one that I would recommend to anyone.

lsensabaugh The cast was amazing - and the story was very poignant. An incredible first time effort by the director! I can see why this movie gained so much support by people in the industry. Very nice to see a movie about a Hispanic family without the shadow of drugs, profanity, and sordid behavior. Well acted, looking forward to more from this crew. Many people can find something of themselves in this movie - the characters handle grief, responsibility, forgiveness of self and others, and personal pain. This movie reminds us that we all have the right stuff inside to do the right thing -- and upon reflection this movie makes us realize in a gentle way that we don't do the right thing often enough.

Roland E. Zwick Set in New York City, "Bella" is a simple but compelling slice-of-life drama about a pregnant young waitress who has to decide whether or not to have an abortion. We never meet the father of the child, but we do meet Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), a close friend who works alongside Nina (Tammy Blanchard) at the restaurant owned and operated by Jose's intense, more responsible brother, Manny (Manny Perez). Nina and Jose spend a desultory afternoon roaming around town, discussing Nina's options and exploring the horrific tragedy that forever changed the course of Jose's life, an event that, in some ways, touches on the decision Nina has to make, and that, in part at least, explains Jose's indescribably awful beard."Bella"'s most distinctive trait is its almost total lack of artifice, the completely naturalistic way in which it chooses to tell its story. Given the potentially volatile nature of the subject matter, the script never feels compelled to push its points - never feels the need to sermonize or preach. Many of its views are left unspoken while the characters go through the motions of daily life. Only in the final scene does the movie venture into the realm of magic realism, providing a beautifully extrapolated resolution rooted in a kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy.With its heartfelt performances and self-effacing direction (by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde), "Bella" provides a moving look at guilt, redemption, responsibility and family.