Bella

On Townhall.com last nite I read Robert Novak's latest column "Bella" is coming. The article is about his attending a new independent film that is due for general release next April by the name of Bella. What he had to say about the movie caught my interest. The movie is creating a lot of buzz & even is drawing talk of being Oscar material.

Bella is the story of an international soccer star, Jose (Eduardo Verástegui) & A waitress, Nina, (Tammy Blanchard) & the events that cause their lives to take an unexpected turn. I could go into a little more of the story but I prefer not to. Let's just say that it has a strong positive pro-life message without hitting anyone over the head with it.

As Robert Novak reports: "'Bella' was conceived by three young Mexican men -- producer, director and lead actor -- who are conservative Catholics and want to make movies removed from Hollywood's movie culture of sex and violence. Bankrolled by a wealthy Catholic family from Philadelphia, they shot the film in 24 days in New York City. "

He goes on to talk about the background of the movie: "The star is Eduardo Verastegui, a Mexican heartthrob as a lead performer in TV soap operas who now lives in Los Angeles. A devout Catholic, he told me he was tired of movies showing Latinos as disreputable and immoral. He has learned to speak English in three years well enough to play the lead role mostly in English (with subtitles over the Spanish). "

The movie was shown at Toronto International Film Festival this year where it won the People's Choice Award. On the IMDb website there is a comment from someone who attended the Toronto showing. "I screened this unknown movie Bella in Toronto at the Film Festival because I was given a ticket to see it. After seeing the film and participating in a standing ovation with everyone else who saw it and being almost as moved by the touching Q and A afterwards I remember leaving that theater thinking that in a just world that film and those producers would walk away with every award...when I found out that it actually did...that it beat all those other films and that it is now on Oscar's radar"

Another attendee had this comment posted on IMDb: "I had the privilege of seeing "Bella" at the Toronto Film Festival and was amazed by this beautiful love story! After i heard the buzz about this little film i decided to go see it with out knowing what to expect and i was blown away. Actually, i think it is best to see this film without knowing anything about the story. A lot of people were surprised when Bella took the top prize at Toronto except for me and the other people who saw the film. Our screening ended in a standing ovation and the Q&A went so long that the moderator had to cut it off. The performances were incredible and the directing was remarkable. It was a powerful experience with a lot of unexpected twists and turns... especially the ending. It is amazing that this little film beat out all of this years Oscar hopefuls to get the most coveted Award at Toronto but it could not have happened to a better film. Congrats! "

& the reports from the various preview showings elsewhere have also been overwhelmingly positive. Here are some other quotes from the movie's page on IMDb:

"BELLA is a poignant portrayal of love-conquers-all that runs the gamut from spellbinding to uplifting with a firm but gentle hand as the writer tells a tale of fallen dreams that breathes life into a dying world where family, faith, and friends are re-discovered and claimed as the "ties that bind." The captivating cast as well as the crew embody the very essence of family life among the Latino community yet the writing is so cleverly crafted that it transcends the tumult and transition of recovering from shattered spirits in any family of any ethnic background. The "realness" of the plot and characters makes you feel like you're in the middle of every scene!"

"I had the privilege of seeing a test screen of this movie and it was simply amazing. It is unbelievable to think that Alejandro Monteverde is a first time director. The story is beautiful and so very refreshing. The setting for the movie is in New York and was the perfect choice. The plot is also captivating and the audience is left falling in love with not only the characters, but their story too. I knew little about the movie going into the screening, but was blown away by the end."

"The film stars Eduardo Verastegui (the Mexican Brad Pitt), and Tammy Blanchard, each on only in their second movie role. They are excellent both individually and in their interactions with each other. You're sure to see more from both of these rising stars.A believable script, quality acting, and effective cinematography, music, and sound kept my attention from start to finish. I had no expectations from this film and came away truly impacted--A very powerful piece of cinema. No wonder this rookie work was selected for inclusion in this year's Toronto Film Festival."

This is 1 of those movies that strikes me as a definite MUST SEE! & it is also 1 of those movies that probably won't make Dubuque until it is nominated for an Oscar, if then. I can only hope that the advance buzz will cause 1 of our local theatres to have the courage to show it.