Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Tammy Blanchard, Eduardo Verastegui, Manny Perez, Ali Landry, Angélica Aragón, Jaime Tirelli, Ramon Rodriguez, Ewa De Cruz, Sara Dawson, Armando Riesco
Written by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde & Leo Severino
Certification UK PG | US PG
Runtime 91 minutes
Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Nina (Blanchard) is a waitress in New York struggling with life. One day she turns up to work late one time too many and is fired. The chef in the restaurant where she worked, Jose (Verastegui), abandons his post to be with her and in so doing they get to know far more about each other than they had all the time they worked together.
Despite the sadness and tragedy which permeates this quiet character study, Bella is a surprisingly uplifting experience. Jose’s past and Nina’s present bring them together in a plausible way and although this is 90% dialogue and 10% action, it’s never dull. Although not documentary realistic, it certainly feels naturalistic with some of the camerawork purposely fast and loose.
Eduardo Verastegui, a former pop star in his native Mexico, plays the thoughtful ex-footballer with a quiet gravitas, hiding his model good looks behind a shaggy beard. Along with his kindly demeanour this gives him a Jesus-like quality, guiding Tammy Blanchard’s little girl lost Nina towards a better life, or at the very least a more positive attitude towards it. Blanchard, perhaps best known for her role in The Good Shepherd alongside Matt Damon, is an understated screen presence but utterly believable throughout.
This languid slice of life won’t be for everyone and it’s not especially groundbreaking in any regard. But it has a certain charm to it, thanks largely to the two central performances – these are essentially good people who just need a break in life and someone to listen to them. Bella looks good, is smartly written, has a pleasing soundtrack and genuine warmth, which makes a refreshing change from much of today’s cinema.