The last time the talented James L Brooks was writer and director he offered us As Good As It Gets and his screenplay won an Oscar nomination. Seven years later, he returns with Spanglish and it appears that he has taken a script and removed reason and accountability. If Helen Hunt was the reason why cavemen chiselled on walls, this helps explain why they coughed loudly, left the cave and grappled with sharp fanged beasts.
A seemingly sedated Adam Sandler plays an emotionally literate chef whose neurotic nut job of a wife is on the verge of a breakdown, for reasons best not considered. When a Mexican housekeeper enters with her daughter, faster than you can say “culture clash” everyone is forced to re-assess their values. Throw in an alcoholic granny and a teenager in braces and the mixture is complete for a Californian angst comedy based on communication.
It’s all a bit of a mess. Every time people start emoting, the dialogue dips and one has to fight the urge to hide behind the sofa. It becomes better halfway through but it’s hard to escape the thought that Mr Brooks is operating on auto pilot and is best when he creates some evil, sarcastic characters to help offset the sentimentality.
A seemingly sedated Adam Sandler plays an emotionally literate chef whose neurotic nut job of a wife is on the verge of a breakdown, for reasons best not considered. When a Mexican housekeeper enters with her daughter, faster than you can say “culture clash” everyone is forced to re-assess their values. Throw in an alcoholic granny and a teenager in braces and the mixture is complete for a Californian angst comedy based on communication.
It’s all a bit of a mess. Every time people start emoting, the dialogue dips and one has to fight the urge to hide behind the sofa. It becomes better halfway through but it’s hard to escape the thought that Mr Brooks is operating on auto pilot and is best when he creates some evil, sarcastic characters to help offset the sentimentality.
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