Manny(Perez), Jose’s brother, runs his restaurant like a general runs an army. Cracking the whip on his employees, he cares more about the business than the people who help him run it. Because of this, it’s easy for him to fire Nina(Blanchard) after she’s late for work one too many times, regardless of the reason. Jose, an unknowing companion, extends a helpful hand to Nina who has just learn of her unplanned pregnancy. Together, they rediscover what is truly important in life; love, family and a passion for living.

My preconceptions for Bella were completely misguided. I notoriously do not trust film reviews I read; they are often misleading. I’d read a few mixed reviews for this film, some good and some bad, and went in believing I knew the story before entering the theatre. Maybe that was for the better, because the film was not what I was expecting at all. All the reviews made Bella seem like just another Hollywood love story; guy meets girl, guy woos girl, guy and girl fall in love. There have been many films that follow this template, but this wasn’t one of them.

What blew me away was the film’s true theme. It comes at you from left-field, yet seems so perfect in the emotional context of the film. The idea that Jose can find true happiness in his life by facing his demons, is something that is expected in a romantic film. It’s just the source of his happiness comes from the last place you’d expect.

From the very beginning, the film interleaves the character’s history into short almost dream-like flashbacks, which create an interesting, seemingly evolving, storyline. At the same time, the ghosts that haunt the characters are exposed through emotional dialog in the present. While being very powerful, the dialog is also lighthearted at the perfect moments. Transitioning from somber and dramatic to strikingly comedic is smooth in the film and natural from the actors. Bella is absolutely breathtaking in it’s simplicity and with its amazing character development, acting and cinematography, viewers are in for a treat.

As Barry and Vanessa’s relationship blossoms, Barry discovers that humans actually eat honey. Outraged at the exploitation of honey bees for the pleasure of humans leaves Barry with only one option; sue the human race and return the honey to the bees.

To be succinct, Bee Movie is exploding with cuteness and family-friendly fun. One of the best animated films I’ve seen, it ranks up there with Toy Story and Shrek. Shows, that Dreamworks can come up with high-quality films with the best of them.

What pleased me the most about this film, as with all family-friendly animated films, is the adult humor that is snuck in for the portion of the audience over the age of 12. For example, Mooseblood(Rock), a mosquito, explains how he became a lawyer,

Ma’am, I was already a bloodsucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase!

It is quotes like that, which make these films so enjoyable for everyone.

One pitfall of the film was the imbalance in the story. It seemed that the film didn’t flow smoothly from start to finish. There was a huge build-up of Barry’s character and his life and purpose, but soon after the trial, the film speeds up and plot points are piled on, one after another. The ending of the film seems rushed. Maybe it was the studio shortening the script, maybe Seinfeld got tired of writing. Whatever the cause, the film ended rather abruptly and left me wanting more.