From Rebecca Hagelin:
Rarely am I so taken by the beauty and power of a movie that I want everyone I know to see it. "Bella" is a film you must see.
The story (I won't reveal too much, because I don't want to spoil it for you) concerns a young soccer star whose career is abruptly cut short. He winds up working in his brother's restaurant in New York City, where he befriends a struggling waitress. The story is rich in messages of redemption, friendship, sacrifice and hope. No wonder the Hollywood crowd is beginning to cut it to shreds.
"Bella" isn't for the little ones. It deals with mature themes (and is rated PG-13) revolving around a fatal car accident, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and the subjects of abortion and adoption. But in a refreshing break from the status quo, "Bella" handles these topics in a moral and uplifting way.
The film is full of all the right messages about the character qualities that everyone should applaud – honesty, devotion, family commitment, courage. It's a masterpiece of cinematography, writing and acting. Director Alejandro Monteverde and the outstanding actors Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard deliver the "feel good" movie of the year. The executive producer is Steve McEveety, producer of such blockbusters as "The Passion of the Christ," the top-grossing R-rated film of all time, and the amazing "Braveheart." I'm so impressed with the values, quality and message of Bella that I'm personally buying tickets for our high-school youth group.
And the elitist secular humanists are working to pull a Pat Powers:
As you might expect, elitist movie reviewers have already been working to ensure that "Bella" gets overlooked, despite the fact this film won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, one of the industry's most important honors. Some, it seems, are even working overtime to make sure no one sees "Bella" – its messages are too reflective of a worldview where people actually sacrifice for each other, find fulfillment in caring and feel the joy of redemption.
The New York Times, for instance, calls it a "saccharine trifle." The Detroit News says it's as "simple-minded, heavy-handed and as subtle as a gorilla in a tutu." Desson Thomson of the Washington Post tried a different tack. His review is titled "As Time Creeps By," and it begins: "When you know, practically from the beginning, what's going to happen at the end of a movie, what do you do with your time in between? Offer to buy everyone in the theater popcorn while you sit this thing out? Check cell phone messages? Catch up on lost sleep?" Which prompts me to ask: Did he wander into the wrong theater? Everyone I know who has seen the movie was completely swept up in the mystery and brilliance of this marvelous film. (Note: Usually, when The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Detroit News trash a moral movie, it's code that you should go see it.)
Just like Jon Lauck’s book, since the Argus Leader does not want you to read it, is the only reason you need to buy it.
UPDATE: Here is a link to where Bella is currently playing.
