Bella was the #1 highest grossing film of 2007 in its category and it was the #1 rated film by NY Times Readers Poll, Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes and Yahoo when it was in theaters. The film won RottenTomatoes “Golden Tomato” in 2007 for having the highest fan rated film of the year. Below are some of the reviews from the top film outlets in the world.

NEW YORK TIMES WEBSITE:
“A man whose life is about to be changed forever discovers that sometimes it takes losing it all to finally appreciate the things that truly matter in director Alejandro Monteverde’s emotional tale of self discovery.”
– Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide.

CHICAGO SUN TIMES:
“an emotional experience for a stunning exhibition of cinema art that unexpectedly won a Toronto International Film Festival award.”
-Robert Novak

REUTERS:
TORONTO – Bella, a romantic drama by Mexican director Alejandro Monteverde, was the surprise winner of the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday….. The prize is often an indicator of future Academy Award nominations, with past recipients including best picture winners “American Beauty” and “Chariots of Fire.” Last year’s winner, “Tsotsi,” won an Oscar for best foreign-language film. “I really hope that this is not a dream and that I don’t wake up at film school,” a visibly surprised Monteverde said at an awards ceremony. “This festival is my first festival, it’s my first film. it’s my first everything.”

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:
Bella Wins
TORONTO – A trio of Mexicans triumphed at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday when their U.S. independent drama Bella captured the People’s Choice Award, voted on by festival audiences…. “These Mexican guys go to America and beat the American independents at their game — it’s impressive,” Toronto festival co-director Noah Cowan said after an awards luncheon.

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:

The Story Behind Bella Winning in Toronto can be the first step on the road to Oscar and Golden Globes success. Bella could wind up following in the footsteps of such past Toronto winners as: “American Beauty,” which won five Oscars in 2000, including best picture and director, and three Globes, including best picture and director; “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which won four Oscars in 2001, including best foreign language film, was a best picture Oscar nominee and won two Globes, including best director for Ang Lee.

ABC NEWS:
A romantic drama….Mexican director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde’s Bella tells the story of two people whose lives converge and turn upside down on a single day in New York. It has won the People’s Choice Award, which is often an indicator of future Academy Award nominations.

FOX NEWS:
I am very pleased that the Toronto Film Festival chose Bella to win their top audience award over the weekend…. It’s incredibly charming, with terrific performances by Tammy Blanchard and Mexican star Eduardo Verástegui and Manny Perez. It’s directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde. It’s too easy to say this is the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” of this season, because Bella is far more complex and sophisticated while losing none of the humor. Whoever decides to release Bella will have a nice little hit on their hands. The freshness and lack of affectation in Bella must have appealed to audiences who had to endure a number of big-name films that seemed contrived, stale or calculated.

InCONTENTION.com:
Bella marks the debut feature of Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, a truly humble man in awe of the fact that he’s actually made it here. It’s better to know as little as possible about this film before going into it but let me tell you that it feels both sincere and loving. It’s great to see a film that legitimately moves the viewer without being drowned in sap. And it does this in just 90 minutes. If it comes your way, see it. You won’t regret it.

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