Review of Bella (2006) by Facu S — 23 May 2011

This is a nice little film that is unfortunately situated on the most improbable of plots. You can enjoy watching it, but any serious examination of it ruins the enjoyment almost immediately.

A single day in New York City is filtered through the lives of Nina and Jose, workmates whose perfunctory orbits align for no apparent reason, changing them both for the better. The performances of Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard are good, though Verastegui tends to be a bit heavy on the 'mystery man harboring a dark past' bit, and Blanchard is always bursting through with grace or elegance that seem somewhat misplaced in her rough character.

At it's heart, the story is simply a reminder that in the midst of shallowness, there are still unexpected persons of depth. In an age of shattered families and childhood cynicism, there are still decent families. In an age where looking good is equated to being good, it is possible to be attractive and damaged. In an age where everyone is looking out for themselves, there are still people willing to look out for others.

Trite? It plays that way, which is more a commentary on the viewer than the film. If the plot dives too deep too quickly, it doesn't negate the fact that a slower descent into people's interior lives wouldn't change the view, it would simply give us longer to savor it. This film affirms all the things that our postmodern culture has decided are inauthentic and unbelievable - strong traditional families, the love of siblings for one another, religion as more than lip service (which is particularly ironic given the family prayer scene, in which prayer is quite literally lip service), the value of all human life, the beauty of adoption, the kindness of near strangers, and the ability of a single day to change everything. It is asking to be written off as a fairy tale at the same time that, in an admittedly heavy-handed way, it makes it clear that unlikely is not the same as impossible.

It also is a film that refuses to sugar-coat the emotional trauma of abortion, portraying a single mother grappling with the somber weight of that option. The baby is never less than a baby, a life to be watched over (extinguishing the cigarette before finishing it, avoiding alcohol) even as Blanchard tries to convince herself that abortion is the best option. The reality of the child inside of her is never compromised or discounted in order to make herself feel better about her choices - or her perceived lack of them.

The ending is problematic on many levels. It is without a doubt the weakest part of the whole movie, and yet it belongs here. Perhaps it could have been done better, thought through more clearly. I think that there was a genuine effort to prevent the movie from following the expected track into soppy contrived happy endings, while painting a picture of another sort of equally happy ending. And even in this, the film contradicts modern notions of relationships. I'm willing to give it props for that, even if it's not executed very well.