Espanglish

Let me start by saying it's not your just another Adam Sandler movie. Though it has that undercurrent of humor, it's rich with human emotions. Allows and welcomes you to FEEL. Everything about this movie is just so right.

I am not going in to its plot or technicalities because there is no need to (only after watching this movie you'll understand what I am trying to say)

Paz Vega is so convincing (obviously) and outstanding as a caring mother who came to work and better life to US from Mexico with her daughter.

Adam Sandler plays what he plays in almost every movie. A guy with a golden heart. A good, understanding husband. A great father. Make us feel for his character. As always, he is good.

Tea Leoni is superb as frustrated, nagging wife.

Cloris Reachman provides few laughs and she's a delight to watch.

Highly recommend.

Gregory Nava's "El Norte" was a memorable journey into the Latino experience in white wealthy country. That masterpiece had a heartbreaking scene between the Latino maid and a washing machine. "Spanglish" merely hints to a similar moment between the Latino maid and a coffee machine. The "merely hinting" is at the heart of this painful comedy of manners. This is the journey of an observer not of someone who actually lived it. As a consequence he treats his own with an iron hand and the others with a romantic, heroic, fairy taleish sort of slant. Putting aside the potential seriousness of the story, the film is a moving, entertainment fantasy in the land of opulence and guilt. The borders here are not geographic but personal, the aliens are the natives. They become illegal in their own existence and step all over their own lives without noticing, trying to care, trying to be the best they can possibly be but without points of reference or enough substance for their acts to have any kind of real meaning. Tea Leoni gives a performance of such fearlessness that sometimes you feel she may jump out of the screen. Cloris Leachman is great as an alcoholic wise woman who doesn't want to be judged. Paz Vega represents the ideal Latin heroine in a wealthy American's story. She is beautiful and powerful and utterly unlikely. Adam Sandler is Adam Sandler and seems to stand passively between the blonder than blond world of his wife and the exotic gorgeousness world of his maid. I would like to know what happened to Paz and her daughter after leaving behind the chances to be or become like everyone else in the white wealthy country of make believe, or is that too much to ask.

Adam Sandler returns to romantic comedy/drama in Spanglish, written and directed by James L. Brooks, who has fine tuned the genre with excellent scripts and sensitive acting (Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets). It doesn't quite measure up to his best work, but that's still saying something.

Deborah Clasky (Tea Leoni) hires a housekeeper/cook, Flor Moreno (Paz Vega), who doesn't speak English. Flor, a single mother, has a teenaged daughter, Cristina, and the two eventually move into a summer beach house with Leoni, her two kids, and husband, John Clasky (Adam Sandler), a world renowned chef. Deborah is a nervous, controlling type A personality, who has recently lost her job and begins to question her worth. Her subsequent actions such as lowering the self esteem of her overweight daughter, Bernice, and doting over Flor's daughter without mother's consent starts a sequence of events that pulls the two families apart and draw two frustrated, lonely people together, namely Sandler and Vega. They connect, of course, but what they do about it forms the focus of the storyline. At times this film thematically recalls classics like Roman Holiday or Brief Encounter.

The film begins in such a manner to make one think that it isn't anything special but builds its story and characters into solid foundations until you begin to care about what happens. This is almost two films thematically. There is the developing love story between Sandler and Vega, and there is also the story of Vega, the mother, and her daughter. This is not just a family torn apart or a budding, forbidden romance, it is also the core mother-daughter dynamic seen though the teenaged daughters and their respective mothers. The narrative from Cristina's point of view recalls I Remember Mama. And let us not forget the relationship of Deborah and her own mother (Cloris Leachman-a Brooks alumnus from The Mary Tyler Moore Show). The ending is a bit open ended for one storyline while the other is resolved quite nicely.

At times, the dialogue (a good portion is in Spanish and cleverly translated or communicated through context without subtitles) is crisp and sharp and other times, the story seems to tease without delivering and seemingly loses track until it gets reeled back by a brilliant line or two. Some of the situations seem a bit forced or going nowhere but Brooks has spoiled his audiences with his top flight writing over the years. It is remarkable that he can show lesser filmmakers how to write and construct a superior screenplay about people that an audience cares about. He makes stories about people that matter.

Tea Leoni is good in her role as the neurotic housewife who becomes self absorbed. At times her character downright grates on the nerves, and you wonder how a man like Sandler's compassionate, loving husband/father, puts up with her behavior. Sandler does fine with his down-to-earth, dramatic role which contrasts with his quirky romantic in Punch Drunk Love. One wonders what a stronger persona like Brooks alumnus Jack Nicholson or even Tom Hanks would have done with his role. All the supporting roles are effective as usual. Leachman registers as the mother who consoles her adult daughter and is the voice of reason despite being the family alcoholic. Even the family dog becomes a small but noteworthy supporting character. There is also an amusing cameo by Thomas Haden Church who plays a character not unlike his more substantial role in Sideways.

Production values are strong across the board particularly in the cinematography by John Seale. But it's really all about the writing and the acting. The film feels like it wants to be something more but settles for the quality of a moderate Brooks film like Broadcast News. The film will elicit laughs and some tears but it is consistently engaging. Wouldn't it be nice if more films could even reach that level of writing and acting? Is this a great film? No. It is merely a well written story, and that's pretty good on its own.

I saw Spanglish Saturday night (12/11/04). It was a preview and I haven't seen any critical reviews yet. I liked it enough to give it a 8 out of 10. It's a comedy with enough serious moments to give a person time to pause and think. Young girl emigrates with her mom from Mexico and settles in California. Mom (being in America illegally) settles as a housekeeper for Sandler and Leoni. She's baffled by the monied existence of the upper classes and how it effects her daughter. I thought that Paz Vega is excellent as the mom. Adam Sandler holds back and plays a compassionate father. Cloris Leachman is great and should be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress. The revelation to me is Tea Leoni. I thought that she was great as the waspish/blond mom/wife who feels that she's not getting enough respect at home.

There is most certainly something in Spanglish for every member of your family! The cast is fabulous. Spaniard Paz Vega appears quite natural and convincing as Mexican Flor Moreno. Adam Sandler shows definite versatility as both a dramatic and comedic actor. Tea Leoni, here almost outshines everyone in her role of a rather endearing but neurotic American housewife. And the young, Shelbie Bruce, playing the role of Flors daughter, Cristina, waxes totally bilingual/bicultural.

However, do not let your pre-viewing expectations get too high! Regardless of being a must see film for all Hispanics who live, have lived or who have had an extended stay in the U. S., Spanglish does have its faults! Producer/director/writer, James L. Brooks, despite having directed such classics as Broadcast News, As Good As It Gets and Terms of Endearment, seems that here there are moments he became too enamored of his own work, causing some excesses. The film drags a bit at over 2 hours. It would have been a more enjoyable film if Brooks had left at least 10 or 15 minutes on the cutting room floor.

In most of the standard areas one eveluates regarding the production values used in making Spanglish... It seems that just about all of them are quite acceptable. Probably even a tad better than most!

However, Spanglish does suffer from moments of rather lackluster script-writing and direction of its principle characters, with too many mugging facial close-ups. These exaggerated expressions often did not seem the least bit natural. Spanglish also would like to convince us that someone can go from a beginner in English to someone with tremendous proficiency in a breezy 2 or 3 months! That seems like quite a lot of Suspension of Disbelief! If it were that easy, we would all speak five languages, right? Despite the few weaknesses highlighted here, Spanglish is guaranteed to impact you a lot! 7*******

This review was redacted after going over the IMDb guidelines for submitting Reviews with the utmost intensive and extreme care. I am certain that it meets all the standards and points mentioned therein. So most certainly...I hope this Review will meet with Your approval and considered to be Helpful.....Enjoy!