The opening line of Toronto Film Festival’s award-winning Bella provides a preview of the turning and twisting 91-minute path the movie proceeds along: “My grandmother used to say, ‘You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.’” Beginning as the story of a young man who seems to own life, the film follows the protagonist on an unexpected geographic and emotional journey that ultimately leads him and those around him to confront complex issues surrounding identity, friendship and abortion.

Mexican triple-threat (model/ singer/ actor) Eduardo Verastegui steps outside his stereotypical telenovela heartthrob role to give a multi-dimensional portrayal of Jose, the sympathetic protagonist. We first meet a young, handsome and daring Jose enjoying his status as the local celebrity — It is easy to get caught up with Jose’s charisma as he suavely steers around town in a swanky car. His soccer skills have landed him an superstar sports career, and he plans to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous for years to come.

To Jose’s dismay, however, the ink has not yet touched the paper of his contract when unfortunate circumstances change his life forever. The once rising international soccer superstar ends up an unshaven, long-haired, depressed cook at his brother’s Mexican restaurant in New York City. Another series of unexpected events brings Jose in touch with the sweet, unassuming waitress Nina (Tammy Blanchard). The two, who independently have found themselves suddenly lost, lonely and marginalized, join together as a surrogate family amid the masses of the bewildering metropolis around them. Nina and Jose are both surprised that circumstances in their past had such a dramatic impact on their future. They are lost souls embarking on a pilgrimage, questioning the direction of their spiritual, mental, physical, professional and personal lives.

The movie deals primarily with Jose’s pilgrimage, but the portrayal of Nina is of unique significance: A young, single Mexican woman in a strong Catholic community in New York, she is ultimately forced to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Jose does not force Nina to choose one way or the other, but he provides Nina with friendship and support at a critical time during her own decision-making process. Jose’s friendship proves to be therapeutic for Nina, as Jose finally begins to deal with his own difficult past, characterized by dashed dreams, grief, tears and blame. As we learn more of Jose’s past, we meet more characters, among them a passionate mother, Celia (Ali Landry). Landry also earns her billing in Bella as a bona fide silver screen actress in the few moments she graces the screen, leaving any recollection of her as the cheesy Dorito girl a distant memory.

Although the ultimate decision Nina makes — to give birth to Bella and give her up for adoption — does seem to suggest that the message of the film is to advocate against abortion, it would be unfair to place the film in the same category as such anti-abortion advocacy films as Silent Scream, which documents fetal pain during abortions in order to sway pregnant women against the procedure. In Bella, Nina faces the challenges — such as stigma, religion, employment and financial considerations — of a post-Roe v. Wade unplanned pregnancy, and Tammy Blanchard offers an honest portrayal of a simple young woman faced with a terrifying and complicated new decision which she never imagined she would have to make.