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DVD (21)
There are signs that a lot has been cut, and in trimming his film Brooks may have squeezed too tight: his movie needs breathing space.
The film gets better as it goes along ... and all the characters, including Deborah, become more interesting and appealing as we get to know them better.
Brooks, fumbling around with too many characters and too many issues, can't find the heart of the story or give heart to the part of it he chose to focus on.
The movie is what in Hollywood they call 'character-driven,' and it does take its sweet time. But much of that time is sweet indeed.
Offensive because it turns liberal self-abasement into self-congratulation.
Sometimes Brooks's ideas are legitimate, but his way of putting them across is dishonest. Sometimes the ideas are dishonest, but his way of putting them across is legitimate.
Spanglish is a heartfelt, funny, sad, human story about what people want and what they should do; about culture's colliding and maintaining their individuality; and about what parents do for their children.
Mixed messages wrapped in stale stereotypes.
It's no masterpiece--I can admit--but the performances won me over in the end...
There's a distinct lack of chemistry here and a strong whiff of moral sermonizing that undermines the romantic impact.
The film racks up points for stressing in eloquent ways the importance of one's own roots, even when dwarfed or demeaned by the lure of the dominant, more affluent culture.
While the content isn't always pretty, the lessons are important. And, Brooks, thankfully, isn't afraid to face these themes, ugliness and all.
A satisfying and grown-up flick that boasts all of James L. Brooksâ(TM) strengths.
This is Hollywood liberal humanism as muted join-the-dots melodrama, all carefully calculated colouring, broad outlines, and no room for fruitful digression.
Vega radiates effortless strength and charm in her first Hollywood role, and Sandler proves to be a gratifyingly unpredictable leading man, self-effacing one moment and hilariously emphatic the other.
Much as Spanglish makes their mutual attraction look magically real and charming, the prospect of John and Flor's romance remains alarming, and not just for the questions it raises about sleeping with the help.
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