The Bread, My Sweet (2001)

It would seem a great majority of reviewers seek only to point out all possible flaws with any given film. Wedding for Bella/My Bread, My Sweet is no exception. Here in the 21st century we are all too ready to give the blue ribbon to the production with the most CGI, the most "flash", and to ignore (or badmouth) those that are more on the "homegrown" side. I agree, some of the roles are somewhat stereotypical, but stereotypes come from somewhere, no? Must every film be oozing with originality to gain our applause? The motive of the main character, Dominic, is enough to fuel the humor and tension in the film, mainly, marrying a girl for the sake of her mother's happiness. And no, one could not expect the chemistry between Dominic and Luca to be extraordinarily "passionate", based on the original premise that he wasn't genuinely interested in her in the first place. The filming is also not state-of-the-art, true, but if anything, I believe it speaks to the down-to-earth, gritty character of the city of Pittsburgh. Whether intentional or not, it succeeds in portraying a multi-layered local flavor, a quality most modern films leave by the wayside for the sake of spectacle.My advice is to take the film for what it is, and not as a mere comparison to higher rated/higher budgeted films.

I needed to buy another DVD to get a discount, and this one sounded interesting and was inexpensive It was not the light, fluffy comedy that I expected. It has substance, charm, some fine performances, some laughter, and some tears. Scott Baio, Kristin Minter, and Rosemary Prinz were excellent. I don't remember seeing Kristin Minter before, but now I want to see more of her.A Wedding for Bella, as its original name The Bread, My Sweet suggests, is a sweet movie; not hardcore. I like good hardcore, but I also like good sweet. For a low-budget, independent feature, it is well worth watching.

Scott Baio is excellent in this movie as are all the cast members. I was blown away by how real the acting was and felt like a part of the family. It made me laugh and cry. I had to watch it twice before returning the rental. I liked it much more than My Big Fat Greek Wedding which it is compared to in the promos. The story centers around three brothers who run an Italian pastry shop leased from an older Italian couple who live above the shop. The older couple have become surrogate parents for the three brothers and their love for one another is a testament to lasting marriage. Baio's character makes a big personal sacrifice to fulfill a wish for his surrogate mother. You will love the authenticity of this film.

I thought this movie was TEN TIMES better than My Big Fat Greek Wedding (which is what the back of the DVD compares it to). I guess those who thought that it wasn't good DID NOT grow up in some kind of ethnic setting. The movie was so true to life, and Italian-born mother would act exactly as Bella did. If I were in the same position, I would fall in love with Scott Baio too, I mean, who wouldn't? I though the scenes with Bella were extraordinary and she did such a great job, as did Massimo, Dom and Luca. I think a movie like this has to be accepted with an open heart and an open mind. In the movie, death, an otherwise sad event, actually becomes an occasion to forget about as the family gathers around Bella in an attempt to make her last days her best. No one pitied Bella, and in the end, no one lied to her either. I think this movie was beautifully done, mixed with elements from several genres. This is one that I'm going to add to my collection.