Bella - A Beautiful Movie

If you enjoy ‘a day in the life of’ type of movies, you’ll find this one compelling. The story is about Nina, (Sophie Nyweide) a young waitress in a Mexican restaurant, who gets fired for turning up late. The restaurant owner’s brother, Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), who is also the chef, walks off his job to befriend Nina and discovers that she is pregnant. Instead of abandoning her, he accompanies Nina throughout the day, sharing his support and friendship. This leads Nina to make a very important decision about the fate of the unborn child.

Nina and Jose have past tragedies in their own lives, which they have struggled to overcome. The gift of time, understanding, and friendship that they give to one another throughout the day, helps them both to be healed of the past.

I loved the journey through New York City that the movie portrays using subways, trains, and taxi cabs. The conversation that the two major characters have is very moving and intense at times. There is also a beautiful moment when Nina is asked by a blind beggar to describe the sights around her.

The movie is a pleasant blend of white American and Latino cultures. Subtitles are used at times, but they don’t interfere with the story. When Jose invites Nina back to his family home, the feelings of welcome, acceptance, and understanding that Nina needs, are found in the compassion of his mother and father.

The movie deals with adult situations, but not in a gratuitous way. The care that Jose displays to Nina enables her to overcome her fears and worries. She does not want to go through with her pregnancy, but Jose’s sincerity reassures her in many beautiful ways. He also needs Nina to go through with the pregnancy in order to redeem himself from a tragic past.

The ending is absolutely marvelous and brings the whole story to a beautiful ending and new beginning. It’s during those last scenes that we at last get to know who Bella actually is. The actors are relatively unknown, but that enriches the whole film. The characters become real people and not just movie stars playing real people.

I think it would be a wonderful movie for any adult Sunday school or Youth group to view. It will inspire a lot of questions and discussion that we tend avoid in our churches today. The movie was also the 2007 winner of the prestigious Toronto Film Award.

Movie website: http://www.bellamoviesite.com/

Youtube Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9AkTrbxgk