The "Bella" bandwagon

I have seen "Bella", at a private screening sponsored by my bishop. It's a moving story and IMHO a good movie.

Now, I'm not giving it a rave review. It's not the best or most thought-provoking movie I've ever seen. But honestly, I can't remember the last movie I wanted to see with my husband, much less my teenaged children, which had an original script rather than being an adaptation of a book I like. Mostly I just don't go to movies.

And, yes, it's prolife. And, yes, it's Christian. Actually, for me the funniest scene in the movie was around a dinner table. Son #3 has invited his Anglo girlfriend home, and is having her repeat the blessing in Spanish. At the end of grace, everyone crosses himself... except the female protagonist, who doesn't understand Spanish and who has no idea what they're all doing. She makes a confused circular motion in front of her chest... I cracked up, because it was so reminiscent of the way I felt (and probably looked) when becoming a Roman Catholic at 19. And this is the only overtly religious moment in the movie, although it is permeated by religious values.

It is a modern film, not a saccharine piece of old-fashioned propaganda. I'm the sort of person who screeches when the bad guy jumps out from behind a tree, even if the music and the mood tell me he's coming, so you might take my emotional reactions with a grain of salt; I laughed, I cried, and I felt good at the end.

I AM pushing this movie, because it is the sort of thing I want to see come out of Hollywood -- a movie with my morals, which I can see with my teens and my husband. A movie which is PG-13 because of mature content, not because of sex (none), graphic violence (none), or foul language (none). It may not be perfect, but it's the best thing going, and a lot better than another "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "Terminator" or pseudo-intellectual piece of dreck.

Don't go expecting the world's best movie, but do go -- and enjoy.

I saw "Bella" at a screening in our diocese. I think it's very well done. Not the best in the world, but in no way cheesy or poorly scripted as many hyped Christian movies are. The acting and production are far above many of those good-inentioned but poor quality movies.

When it comes to movie reviews, I don't particularly agree with Barbara Nicolosi's opinions. I trust Steve Greydanus' reviews much, much more. I'm not sure what he's said about "Bella," if anything.

So, can any of you here who saw Bella respond to my comment/spoiler about how the ending seemed really out of whack?

fbc:

My "What?" with the ending was the apparent great time lapse (5 years?) between events.

fbc: I'm disappointed to see good people like Dreher and Nicolosi panning it.

Dreher hasn't seen the film. Dreher's in no position either to praise or pan it. Dreher is linking to Nicolosi's comments because he finds them interesting and provocative, and he wants to see what his readers who have seen "Bella" have to say about the movie, and Nicolosi's take.

I havent' seen Bella yet, but I wonder if it's being hyped in part because the failed soccer player is played by a Mexican heartthrob (Chasing Papi, Kaos band member, telenovelas up the wazoo)who had a dramatic conversion experience and gave it all up as well as the vida loca to fulfill his calling to become a saint as God desires,and waited for a role like this. (He gave good interviews on EWTN spanish program. Still speaks no english after being in the US five years, so only spanish speakers can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9c8NwcC7LY)

I haven't seen "Bella" and have no idea if I will, since I rarely go to movies. But I'm having a little trouble with Barbara Nicolosi's stance on this.

One of the reasons I rarely see movies is that the vast majority of the movies out there are something like 97% hype, 3% movie. That three percent is then split into five or six categories, including special effects, blatant theft from actual good movies, turgid dialog, random posturing by the Big Star or Stars, the insertion of the director's or producer's Pet Issue of the Day (even if it makes little sense to the plot) and the demonization of any of the following groups of people: Christians, Republicans, conservatives, parents, the military, and, for reasons probably owing to Hollywood's bitter experience with this group, lawyers. What is left is the movie's actual unique substance, which is small and insubstantial enough to be carried out of the theater in a concession-stand size box of Milk Duds.

No matter how bad a film is, the advertising pitches before the movie make each movie sound like the Second Coming of Alfred Hitchcock or (insert director of your choice), with ridiculous over-the-top claims like "This Year's Most Significant Film!" (which means you'll fall asleep in the theater), "A Masterpiece of Suspense!" (which means you'll have the murderer pegged before the opening credits have finished rolling), "A Wild Ride!" (which means that unless you have the sense of humor of a semiconscious frat boy you'll hate it), and "Fun for the Whole Family! (which means it's...just...not).

So "Bella" is playing the hype game with the only audience likely to be interested in the film? Bully for them--they've got this movie thing pegged.

Although I disagree with her on the merits of the film, there is no doubt that Barbara is 200 percent right about the ridiculous hype and "cause" marketing BELLA is getting in certain circles.

I saw Bella last week and recommend it, but I cringe at these e-mails you report you've received. I'm afraid this kind of hype will actually be seen as--in your words--"the trappings of a cause." I didn't regard the film as a "cause" film, and apparently neither did viewers at the Toronto Film Festival, who responded with a standing ovation and the Peoples Choice Award after seeing the independent project. It's a story of redemption with, yes, a strong affirmation of life. I look forward to more work from Metanoia in the future. Diss the hype, but go judge the film on its own merits.

Interesting that you have a Bella advertisement at the top your blog.

KR

Dreher hasn't seen the film. Dreher's in no position either to praise or pan it.

And yet, here's "Dreher" uses his bully pulpit to slam the movie.

should have been:

... by showcasing Nicolosi's (hysterical in my view) criticisms of the movie's marketing.

Hey fbc,

What's wrong with Ratatouille? You seriously didn't like Ratatouille? It was a delight!

And Evan Almighty... a disappointment, yes, but it was a very enjoyable "B" movie. Unlike Bella, it had no pretensions to greatness.

Oh, but please keep reading! I hope my comments aren't "too much trouble, frankly..."

It's interesting that you coin Hollywood as "[your] enemies." VERY evangelical of you. Yes, Thus says the Lord: "Hate the filthy filmmakers and curse their names." Certainly much easier than, say, "Go ye into all nations," etc., especially when Hollywood is certainly a culture unto itself. The churches have been ignoring Hollywood for decades, so that the average Hollywood denizen doesn't even *know* a Christian of any orthodox stripe.

I've met some of "them," whom you declare as enemies. And all they know of "you" is that you *seem* to hate and despise them. So they return the favor and make "Da Vinci Code." "They" are victims of our materialist culture just as much as anyone else. Your attitude is, ironically, very Old Testament, very "we're Israelites fighting for our lives with the neighboring tribes so we have to smite them." Since you seem to be a Catholic, I would encourage you to have a more, say, *loving* attitude towards your fellow man. "Turn the other cheek," "lay down your life," "if I have not love," --- THAT brand of Christianity has the odd characteristic of turning enemies into friends. I've seen it happen. You should try it sometime.

I get quite amused when Christians allow themslelves to indulge in the kind of "they're not in my tribe, they are the enemy" thinking that was only appropriate for Israel, wandering in the desert and *truly* surrounded by enemies. My parents would often quote "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" when they felt like excusing capital punishment. I just hate to be the one to inform them about that whole tranformation that Christ brought about, where the new call is to "love thine enemies."

Oh, yeah, and I went all Ad Hominem because it seems to be your default setting.

"I rest my case."

FBC, you evidently need to rest something, but if you've made a case for anything at all it has yet to be shown here on this thread.

You wrote: "And yet, here's "Dreher" uses his bully pulpit to slam the movie."

Two questions:

1.) What are the scare quotes around Rod's name intended to indicate? I mean, surely you don't doubt it's his name do you?
2.) Where exactly did Rod slam this movie? Not here. Please give a citation.

Oh, and a third...

3.) What exactly IS your case again?

Good grief, y'all are taking this thing way too seriously, and reading a tone into my posts that wasn't intended.

Max: If you'll look at the context, I was responding to Rod's referring to himself in the third person. I also made it clear that I wasn't buying Rod's I'm-jus'-sayin' point that he wasn't criticizing the movie, he was just reporting Nicolosi's criticism. That's what I meant when I said he "showcased" Nicolosi.

Igor: When it wasn't boring me to tears with its formulaic content, Ratatouille was creeping me out with the shot (and the thought) of thousands of rats streaming through a restaurant kitchen. If you liked it, great.

And to whomever said it (I forget and I don't care enough to scroll up to see): I'm all about turning the other cheek. But I'm not silly enough to think that Hollywood (and the Entertainment business) does not have an anti-Catholic and anti-Christian agenda. Are you?

I don't have a problem with BELLA, for what it is, a simple story with little plot and character development. But, I do have a problem with the way it has been marketed. As a frequent movie-goer and Church-goer, I felt as if the message they have been sending is that if you love the Church, you need to love Bella. I know friends who had screened the movie upwards of four times,all before the film was released. They exploited their market, before the film was released, and in the process alienated many people who might have spent their money at the box-office. Comparing their film to some of the GREATEST films of our generation is presumptuous. I cannot think of any Academy Award winning film comparing itself to a predecessor. Think of Amadeus being promoted as the greatest film since Citizen Kane... Great films speak for themselves and seduce their audience by the beauty which is manifest in costume, editing, acting and directing. Barbara Nicolosi has made some bold statements in regards to this film, not to detract people from seeing the film, but because she believes in the power of film to transform people's hearts and minds. If Christ's message is to be communicated to the world (Christian and non), we need to find more DYNAMIC ways of writing, producing, marketing and distributing our stories.

Max: But you never said showcased.

Posted by: fbc | November 3, 2007 1:26 PM ... by showcasing Nicolosi's (hysterical in my view) criticisms of the movie's marketing.

Enough?

What nobody seems to have touched on is why this movie is being marketed to pro-life people in the first place? If the purpose of the movie is to spread a pro-life message, then surely we're not the people that need to see it.

I'm not silly enough to think that Hollywood (and the Entertainment business) does not have an anti-Catholic and anti-Christian agenda. Are you?

I guess I'm that silly. My guess is that most of the writers, actors, producers, and others who create movies in Hollywood don't spend much time at all thinking about Christians or Catholics -- unless they are Christians or Catholics, of course, which no doubt at least some of them are.

Do you feel that most non-Christians are anti-Christians? You flatter yourself. You're not that important to them.

Mrs. Pringle

I am just shaking my head . . . are Christians REALLY giving negative press about something that should be a positive??? Are you serious?