Review: Bella
Penguin February 20th, 2008
Rating: 2/4 stars
Bella is about Nina (Tammy Blanchard) who finds out she’s pregnant. When she gets fired from her restaurant, she’s pursued by Jose (Eduardo Verástegui), the head chef chases her, trying to convince her not to get an abortion.
The good thing about the film is that it doesn’t quite cross the line into romance. It stays just a bit shy of it as it builds the relationship between Jose and Nina. It’s also got some decent editing; cutting two scenes together that aren’t necessarily happening simultaneously. It’s done in such a way that it works without pulling you out of the narrative.
The main flaw is that the story gets a little too heavy handed. We’re told that Nina can’t afford to have a baby, fine. We can see that Jose has a thing for little girls, not in a creepy way, but in a sorrowful sort of longing. But when he practically comes out and tells Nina to not do it, that’s where the whole thing fell apart. They have some scenes where they try to show Nina’s indecision, but it’s obvious what’s going to happen.
What could’ve been an effective drama about family and love, ends up being heavy handed and preachy.
-Penguin
Related posts
