Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) is shown at the beginning of the film as a charming young man who has just been hired to play for the Mexican National Soccer Team for a considerable amount of money. Something happens between then and now that leads him to grow a heavy beard and hide from his former life in the kitchen of his brother’s restaurant. A waitress named Nina (Tammy Blanchard; “The Good Shepard”) is having troubles of her own, as her frequent tardiness causes Jose’s brother to fire her. As Nina storms down the street, lost in her predicament of being a single newly pregnant woman without a job, Jose follows her. The free-spirited Jose talks Nina into spending the day with him, as each person looks to confront their inner demons during a day in the city.
The frequent flashbacks alert the audience to the fact that something traumatic must have happened in Jose’s past. The jumping back and forth by the director between the distant past, the near past and the present can be difficult to follow. Impressively, Verastegui seems like different men, the younger Jose is joyous and confident with the whole world open to him, while in the future Jose is introspective and damaged. Verastegui has a natural charisma and expressive eyes which shine through now that most of his features are hidden by a beard. Sadly, Blanchard is not as appealing in her role as the overwhelmed waitress. The actress’s performance doesn’t always match the emotion you’d expect during a scene. She is overshadowed by Verastegui’s presence in all their scenes, though she does the lion’s share of the talking. The movie works best when she is off-screen and not the center of attention.
The relationships between the brothers, Jose and Manny is fascinating since they are such opposites. While Manny is the level-headed but hot tempered manager, Jose is the heart of the business and of his family. When the audience meets the rest of Jose’s family, there is a definite warmth coming from their interactions. When Jose grieves, his family is effected. While the reason for Nina’s inclusion in the story becomes apparent near the end of the film, it is unfortunate that this character is forced into a story that could have worked better without her. While the film has its effective dramatic moments, Nina is such a predominant presence in “Bella”, that the movie can not be separated from her underwhelming character.
