Review: Bella

I’ve seen two independent films in the past week. Last Sunday I watched Into the Wild. Yesterday I got to see Bella. I would guess both films had similar budgets. I don’t really know for sure, but neither is full of famous actors. Actually, I take that back, Academy award winner William Hurt stars in Into the Wild. He’s a supporting role, the lead character’s father. In Bella, Eduardo Verástegui is the main character. He’s not a household name here in the states, but I understand he has a decent following south of the border.

So aside from an award-winning actor, ITW also enjoyed direction from Sean Penn, music from Eddie Vedder and a screenplay based on a book by a Jon Krakauer. And in spite of all that, there were some, er, casting issues. A few performances just fell flat, in my opinion. I was still drawn into the story and enjoyed the film but I left feeling like it wasn’t quite up to my expectations in a few ways.

Contrast that with Bella.

I don’t really know where to start. The movie made a difference in my life. I’ll start there. I cared about the characters. I empathized with them for different reasons. I believed them. Their plights felt real to me.

José is an international soccer star whose career comes to an sudden end. He now works as chef in his brother’s New York City restaurant with Nina, whose life also takes an unexpected turn. These events lead to a day when both of their lives are changed forever. It’s mostly a tale of friendship, love, hope, and the value of family.

The soundtrack was fantastic. The scenes featuring Mexican culture were beautiful. The acting was spot on. The director’s restraint in not saying too much was terrific.

I hate reviews that give too much away, so I’ll stop there. Go see this film. If you’re trying to decide between this and Into the Wild, go see Bella. You’ll be glad you did, trust me.

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