Adam Sandler lets somebody else do the jokes for once, while he plays the "straight man," and it works pretty well. He and his wife (Tea Leoni) hire a live-in maid named Flor (Paz Vega) with a 12 year old daughter (Shelbie Bruce).
At first, Flor's English is quite poor, and when her daughter Christina isn't around to translate, communication is an awkward series of hand motions and loud annunciating carefully, which of course is useless except as a comic device. She dreams of a better life for her and her daughter, and makes a sincere effort to achieve this.
Vega and Bruce were really the strength of the film; they delivered their often hilarious lines with surprisingly expert comedic timing. There is one routine where Flor is screaming at Sandler's character, and Christina translating for both at a hundred words a minute. I wonder how many takes were necessary for this scene--it's flawless.
Sandler's character is the epitome of a nice guy, and the romantic temptation tension with Flor is handled quite well. Tea Leoni is pretty good too, as a well-meaning but very neurotic and needy wife to Sandler. Her actions are reckless and foolish as she unintentionally angers other characters, making it difficult to discern if she's meant to be a comedic or serious character. In fact, the movie in several situations makes some awkward transitions between drama and comedy.
The movie has some moments, but there doesn't seem to be much direction. There are various subplots in the interaction of these four people, but the substance is lacking. Still, the characters are mostly likable, and there are enough one-liners to keep you entertained. The story has some interesting surprises at the end, and is worth a watch.
At first, Flor's English is quite poor, and when her daughter Christina isn't around to translate, communication is an awkward series of hand motions and loud annunciating carefully, which of course is useless except as a comic device. She dreams of a better life for her and her daughter, and makes a sincere effort to achieve this.
Vega and Bruce were really the strength of the film; they delivered their often hilarious lines with surprisingly expert comedic timing. There is one routine where Flor is screaming at Sandler's character, and Christina translating for both at a hundred words a minute. I wonder how many takes were necessary for this scene--it's flawless.
Sandler's character is the epitome of a nice guy, and the romantic temptation tension with Flor is handled quite well. Tea Leoni is pretty good too, as a well-meaning but very neurotic and needy wife to Sandler. Her actions are reckless and foolish as she unintentionally angers other characters, making it difficult to discern if she's meant to be a comedic or serious character. In fact, the movie in several situations makes some awkward transitions between drama and comedy.
The movie has some moments, but there doesn't seem to be much direction. There are various subplots in the interaction of these four people, but the substance is lacking. Still, the characters are mostly likable, and there are enough one-liners to keep you entertained. The story has some interesting surprises at the end, and is worth a watch.