Featured Movies
Partners
Spanglish
Spanish and English-speaking cultures collide to poignant effect in this astute comedy drama from As Good as It Gets director James L Brooks. An engaging film that's anchored by strong performances, it sees Mexican single mother Flor (Paz Vega) become housekeeper to a rich but troubled LA couple (played by Adam Sandler and Téa Leoni). At first unable to communicate in English, she's thrown into an alien world, whose emotional mechanics she finds hard to understand. Initially, Leoni's shrill and highly-strung Deborah is as jarring to watch as she is for Flor to experience, which gives the picture a misleading sense of farce. Fortunately, the tale quickly finds its level, comfortably balancing wry laughs and uplifting sentiment. The contrast between Flor's pure heart and Deborah's unthinking bluntness is especially moving, highlighted perfectly by Flor's gentle interaction with her employers' daughter (a wonderful Sarah Steele). But it's Sandler's turn as the unhappy husband that's the real surprise, as he manages to be both effortlessly natural and quietly charming.
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