Vanessa and I love to go to movies. Because of a number of factors, we haven't seen many in the last few months. Friday night, we decided we'd find something to go see. I picked a small, independent movie, playing at the "arts" theater -- not the type of movie or theater we usually seek out. You have to understand, I love war movies, westerns, and action/adventure stuff -- anything with explosions, intrigue, or intensity.
I'd heard about a movie called "Bella" through some interviews the director was doing last week. The story-line did interest me -- a single waitress is pregnant and has to decide what to do about her life and baby (though in the movie the woman refuses to say she is having a baby -- in her words, "I'm pregnant, I'm not having a baby." And that is what -- believe it or not, has made this a controversial movie. It is actually being protested for having a story where a woman doesn't choose abortion!
Without ruining the story for you, I just want to say that this is one of the most life-affirming movies I've seen. And, not just because the baby is allowed to be born, but because of the emphasis throughout the movie and all the characters that life is a gift from God and it is to be lived with joy.
Here is what one reviewer writes:
"The most poignant scene in the movie, the one that left me in tears, is when Jose and Nina go to the beach after dinner, and in this dark empty landscape, Nina confides to Jose about her own unhappy past. With the two of them sitting on a beach all alone at night, one could easily see this movie devolve into a typical love story, where two damaged people become whole and functioning again when they fall in love. But Monteverde has other, deeper concerns on his mind. This is not a love story, but a story of recovery, and survival. The relationship between Nina and Jose is more vital than that of lovers—they are helping each other find a way to fill the holes in their souls. The scene is a moving expression of confession and comfort. By its end, the camera hovers over these two people like an angel from above, as the two lie in the sand next to each other, earthbound but looking for a moment like they’re suspended in space. It’s a grand cinematic moment, and Monteverde pulls it off without flinching from the higher sentiment it evokes." (from a review by Beverly Berning)
Do yourself a favor and go see Bella -- you'll feel better when you come out of it than you did when you entered.
Ken
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