'Bella' Movie

Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/bella/27497/main

Today we saw this small low budget film that's popular with audiences but has been knocked by critics for being overly sentimental.  A good example is this review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/movies/26bell.html

Readers blogs for this review and others have been raving about Bella and I can see why. It's a simple story about love, sacrifice, and atonement with strong family values & support at the core. Each main character faces a challenge and will they overcome it is the plot. This movie will restore your faith in humanity as you watch family and friends help them in their time of need. Yes there is some goodness left in their world and we want these characters to benefit from it.

Some critics don't understand that there are all kinds of movies for all kinds of audiences. I went to Bella expecting to see a nice little, feelgood movie and was not disappointed. I wasn't expecting great art and not every movie is a Citizen Kane. The performances were good and the story kept you interested all the way. Was Bella overly sentimental? I didn't think so and neither did the audience.  The movie made its points without hammering them. You wanted a happy ending and this one has one but with a slight twist so it wasn't predictable.