Susan Granger’s review of “Language Lessons” (Shout! Studios)
When the pandemic and subsequent lockdown shut down production on most feature films, Mark Duplass realized he could make a low-budget, independent movie using Zoom and Skype. So he and Natalie Morales developed a plot about two characters using technology to interact.
In Oakland, California, middle-aged Adam (Duplass) lives in a beautiful home, complete with a piano, fancy aquarium, sauna, and a plunge pool that adjusts from cold water to warm. For Adam’s birthday, his husband Will (Desean Terry) buys him an extravagant gift – 100 weekly on-line Spanish lessons.
Then an unexpected tragedy occurs, and his supportive Spanish teacher Carino (Morales) unexpectedly becomes this gay man’s lifeline. Born in Cuba and raised partly in Miami, she now lives in Costa Rica. She reveals little about herself but, eventually, Adam realizes she’s in dire financial straits.
When he offers to help, smart ‘n’ savvy Carino chides him: “You’re not my friend. You’re my student. This is not some real white-savior shit you’ve got going on.”
Unconventional, right? So it’s not exactly what one expects from what might have become a standard rom-com.
Eventually, Adam acknowledges their unexpected friendship, expressing genuine gratitude to Carino “for showing me that people can connect across time zones and languages.”
Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation,” “Dead to Me”) directs from the character-driven script she co-wrote with Mark Duplass (“Creep,” “Safety Not Guaranteed”). The 90-minute running time is divided into chapters, each with a bilingual title: “Immersion,” “Comprehension,” etc.
In Spanish and English with English subtitles, on the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Language Lessons” is an inventive, poignant 7, streaming on Prime Video and Vudu.
