Confessional moments and life lessons pop up around every corner as the movie swaps reality for old-fashioned melodrama. The movie defies logic.
1 Comment
10/26/07
Rate this Movie 
Bella (2007)
45
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted:60
Fresh:27
Rotten:33
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Critics labeled Bella as a simplistic and mostly pedestrian, but positive word of mouth gave this tiny indie surprising theatrical legs.
Theatrical Release:Oct 26, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $7,884,317
Synopsis: BELLA opens with a flashback to a confident young man named Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) who is poised to become a major soccer star. The film then flashes forward to the present day, and we see Jose... [More]
Starring: Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Ali Landry
Director: Alejandro Monteverde
Get This Movie
Reviews for Bella
Monteverde's unobtrusive direction makes Bella into something far more interesting and affecting than the mediocre telenovela it could have been.
10/26/07
The ending brought tears to my eyes, and left me feeling awed and grateful for the beauty of family.
10/26/07
May be the warmest, most heartbreaking family drama I've seen in years.
10/26/07
Eduardo Verastegui sports the most distracting facial hair since that guy in Knocked Up who bet his roommates he wouldn't shave for a year.
10/26/07
Blanchard and Verastegui are the stars of the show here, and their interplay of trust and light flirtation is what keeps Bella out of the death grip of convention.
10/26/07
A heart-tugger with the confidence not to tug too hard.
10/26/07
Top CriticWhat are you going to do when your lead actress offers a performance that's as unlikable as the woman she's portraying?
10/26/07
Bolstered by engaging performances and an appealing Latin milieu, Bella tells a simple, idealistic story with considerable style and charm.
10/26/07
Without a standout performance or a compelling story the entire project is so slight you practically forget you've seen it before it's even over.
10/25/07
Bella is as pedestrian as they come.
10/25/07
The emotions at play in Bella are no doubt heartfelt, but they're so cut-and-dried that the mawkish script virtually writes itself.
10/25/07
It ends like a TV show, and everyone has learned a neat little lesson. Phooey.
10/25/07
Top CriticIn his feature directorial debut, Alejandro Monteverde hits the mark as often as he misses it, but the film's problems linger longer than its successes.
10/25/07
A Mexican movie in which the outcome is never in doubt, the scenes are endless -- sorry, we meant poetic-- and the false beard on the central character's face looks as though it could use a little extra gum.
10/25/07
Top CriticIt's better when the earthy Nina and the dreamy, Christlike Jose are more or less floating through the city.
10/25/07
Top CriticWhere a typical love story is often fantastical, the characters and situations in Bella are penetratingly real, with the grit, glare and sorrow that so often invades reality.
10/25/07
I won't spoil it, except to say that it manages to be utterly predictable without making any sense at all.
10/23/07
Doesn't seem to have very much plot or purpose, besides being an overly sweet and cute love letter to New York City, but the writing and storytelling just aren't there.
10/23/07
Scored to a relentless mix of Spanish and English pop anthems, cut like a Grudge freak-out, and performed with all the gusto of a Chespirito skit.
10/21/07
Latest News for Bella
November 03, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
October 28, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Fourth Saw Pic Generates $32M Debut
For the third straight year, the weekend before Halloween was ruled by a $30M+ opening from the Saw franchise proving that the horror series is still the top choice for those... More...
October 25, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Life Has Its Ups And Downs, Darjeeling Is Transporting
This week at the movies we have a lovelorn single dad (Dan in Real Life, starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche), brothers on a train (The Darjeeling Limited, starring Owen... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
History of Disney Animation
MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.
90 Years of Screen Vampires
TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.
Recent Headlines as TV Movies
AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds