Review: Spanglish

Paz Vega is Flor, a Spanish single mother of one (Shelbie Bruce) who gets a job as a housekeeper in L.A. despite not really speaking any English. Her employer is neurotic, insecure Deborah (Tea Leoni), who has recently become unemployed, whilst her mellow (or is he?) husband John (Adam Sandler) is a successful chef. They have two kids, including the slightly chubby Bernice (Sarah Steele). Also living with them is Deborah’s former jazz singer mother (Cloris Leachman), who is clearly wise, but also clearly frequently with wine glass in hand. When Flor and her daughter (who does speak English) are invited to join the family on holidays, Flor is reluctant to venture with them to Malibu, but Deborah insists that she is needed, and that her daughter is welcome. Eventually, Flor agrees, seeing no other choice. She also tries to better her speaking and understanding of English. Meanwhile, Deborah takes young Bruce under her wing, whilst leaving her actual daughter in tears over ‘helpful’ suggestions that she lose weight (She deliberately buys clothing that’s too small, so she’ll be inspired to lose the weight. How maternal!). Flor is none too happy about another woman taking her child away from her without asking her, and also sympathises with young Bernice. John, for his part is getting fed up with his wife’s selfishness too (he loves his kids unconditionally and warmly), and he and Flor also bond.

 

A terrific cast are let down by a fairly poor screenplay in this 2004 dramedy from writer-director James L. Brooks (“Terms of Endearment”, “Broadcast News”, “As Good as it Gets”), whose strongest contribution to the entertainment industry is still being one of the guys who helped give us “The Simpsons”. And let’s face it, you haven’t watched “The Simpsons” in about a decade, have you? (BTW, Bart’s the youngest-looking 35 year-old I’ve ever seen. I should know, I’m the same damn age!). Everything to do with Paz Vega (whose character is the main focus) and Adam Sandler is actually terrific. Sandler (who doesn’t turn up until about 15 minutes in) gives one of his best-ever performances in a film that is definitely not a Happy Madison flick. His best film, “Funny People” may have stretched him more than any other, but at least in this and “Punch-Drunk Love” he found a less juvenile, less comedic outlet for his ‘mild-mannered man about to blow his stack’ shtick. Here when he finally blows his stack while in a car with Vega, it seems organic to the character, who has been stuck in a marriage where only his wife’s needs are deemed important. This lopsided relationship also leads to one of the biggest laughs in the film via one of the most awkward sex scenes of all-time where it feels like Leoni’s getting herself off and Sandler’s presence isn’t needed, nor much noticed. Vega is truly winning, despite not speaking English for much of the film (Some have scoffed at the idea of a Spaniard playing a Mexican, but let’s face it, only Spanish people and Mexicans will pick up on that).

 

Everything else that doesn’t involve the inimitable Cloris Leachman (who gets some of the best moments), is seriously problematic. In particular, the Tea Leoni character has been seriously overdone through no fault of the actress herself, who is at the very least, very believable in the role. Sure, her surfer dude accent and throaty voice drive me nuts, but she does her job here as written. Leoni’s character becomes increasingly horrid and (un) self-aware to the point where you actually don’t mind Adam Sandler bonding with Paz Vega’s character. But the character is just so awful that you don’t want to watch any scene she’s in. She’s a turn-off. In wrestling parlance she has what is called ‘go-away heat’, where she’s not the kind of villain you love to hate, you just hate her and aren’t entertained. In fact, I’m not even sure she’s really a villain, and Brooks doesn’t seem to know, either, given his ‘Hey, you come up with something. I’m outta here!’ pissweak ending. Early on her verbal diarrhoea is funny, but once she starts criticising her own daughter’s weight, it’s a rapid descent downhill that she nor the film ever really recovers from.

 

I said earlier that Cloris Leachman was a bright spot in the film, she’s an American treasure and is amusing right from the moment we see her drinking a far too large glass of wine. There’s an hilarious bit where Leachman, presumably already plastered, is watching an English-speaking video with Vega as though she’s trying to learn the language, too. She also gets the best line in the film where she tries to get through to Leoni: ‘Lately your low self-esteem has just been good common sense’. Sadly, by that point I was already put-off enough by the Leoni character that I was in a bad mood. I was, however, also quite impressed with young Sarah Steele as Sandler’s daughter, she’s really memorable and you really feel for her.

 

I think cross-cultural films like this were a bit old-hat by this point (and one scene involving Bruce interpreting for her mother, emotions included, is a bit phony), but that’s not what bothered me here. One really miscalculated character just drags this film down enough that I can’t recommend it. There’s not a bad performance in the film and there’s quite a bit to enjoy, but Brooks has gone too far in painting a monster here that you find it hard to even want to watch the thing. It’s off-putting, but Paz Vega gives an incandescent performance.

 

Rating: C+