lancekoz55-1
This movie starts out fresh with all sorts of charm and clever writing... but turns into something else altogether after mid-point. The dreary situation of Sandler's marriage and attraction to Vega causes him to mostly... sit there and mumble. The drinking scene in the restaurant is just slow and thinly written. The interactions of the two families involved is fun and touching... and that part alone is good enough for me to rate it well. After awhile, though, the writer just seemed to run low on plot. I've seen this happen in a lot of comedies... writers seem to always want to make material DEEP or be sure they've punched the 'cry' button. If it stayed light and was shorter... it would have been tighter and more entertaining all around.
KissEnglishPasto
........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA...and ORLANDO, FL Here, Spanglish is not a mixture of the two languages, but instead, more of an encounter, and yes, at times, a clash between two cultures: That of "Gringos" and of Latinos! More than anything else, Spanglish speaks to all Hispanics of just how hard living in the United States can be, at times. To assimilate into its culture without losing ones Latin roots. The film manages to do so in a most convincing and believable way, highlighting some of the positive values of Latino culture, but, at the same time, respecting the dignity of all the characters in the film, while avoiding most, but not all, of the ridiculous stereotypes that abound in Hollywood! There is most certainly something in Spanglish for every member of your family! (There is one brief scene of a loving marriage encounter, but not graphic in the least.) 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 Flor's daughter, Cristina, waxes totally bilingual/bi-cultural.However, do not let your previewing 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 flaws. Producer/director/writer, James L. Brooks, despite having directed such classics as Broadcast News, As Good As It Gets and Terms of Endearment, seems, at times. to have become too enamored of his own work, resulting In some excesses. The film drags on for 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.Spanglish also suffers from moments of poor 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 Tried to convince us that someone can go from a beginner in English to someone with tremendous proficiency in a breezy 2 or 3 months! Even taking a 50 hour per week immersion course, that's a pretty tall order! If it were that easy, everyone would speak five languages, right? (As the owner/director of language institutes for 40 years, believe me, I'm an EXPERT!) Despite its flaws, Spanglish is guaranteed to have a decidedly positive impact! 7.5*......ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!
PatrickBatemanVP
This movie was, is, and will forever be awful, truly and thoroughly awful. It did not start well from what I can recall (saw it in the cinemas upon initial release) and I would hazard a guess that it did not end well either.There was no interest generated in the opening of the film, which eventually led to my exiting of the cinema prior to the end of the film's running. Loss of 5 points (total = 5 so far).I cannot comment on plot because a) none was developed in the beginning of the film, and b) I left after the first thirty minutes or so. Loss of 2 points (total = 3 so far)The characters were wooden to say the least. Adam Sandler plays his goofy old self as per usual, but it is hardly what I call acting. Loss of 2 points (total = 1 so far).Hence my rating of 1/10. A pathetic film that should not be watched. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
mackjordan210
SpanglishAccording to Wikipedia, a survey of the reviews by Rotten Tomatoes, say "53% of critics gave Spanglish a positive review.[3] Its proponents claim it is a portrayal of the difficulty of family problems and self-identity. Negative reviews said it was "uneven", "awkward", and "mean-spirited".After I wright this I will look at those reviews to see what happens. Maybe it will confirm I know everything or nothing or somewhere in between. Please keep in mind one doesn't have to be a wordsmith to have something to say. That said I think this movie has the following going for it. Before we get into that though I just watched the trailer. One of the things that it had going against it (it lost money) was how it seems to have been marketed, but I think it is a good movie. Maybe If I actually do know something id will be a good source of cultural development one day. Kind of like the admiration towards Neil Armstrong or Niel Haggart for that matter. But anyway to me this movie portrays a cross section of society and touches on: Family values How to confront problems within the family dynamic Questions I think most parents ask of themselves That's all I can remember. I think its one of those worth watching again.Are awkward, uneven, and mean spirited feelings toward this movie correlated with beliefs that social inequality is inevitable?If it pleases and sparkles.
