I guess some of my disappointment with this movie stems with the fact that I didn't read any reviews of it but went in expecting the usual silly, crude, fun Adam Sandler flick. Happy Gilmore this is not. It really isn't all that funny, although it apparently tries to be. Its also trying to be a drama, but it has the lack of believability of most comedies without being very funny.
Its about an illegal Mexican immigrant woman with a daughter who gets a job as a maid for a family of emotionally dysfunctional upper middle class white people. The Mexican maid, however, is played by a ridiculously gorgeous Spanish actress who is totally unconvincing as a poor Mexican maid. I have lived in Mexico, I have had Mexican neighbors and co-workers, the Mexicans in this movie did not seem authentic at all. They seemed like some rich Hollywood guy's uninformed stereotype, albeit a favorable one.
And the American family I found just plain irritating- especially the loud-mouthed, neurotic mom. I didn't identify or sympathize with any of them, but just wished they'd go away. Maybe it would resonate more with me if I was around more affluent Beverly Hills types; but being from more of a lower middle class Midwestern background these people seemed like total aliens. Thus, the culture contrast aspect of the movie fell flat for me.
In general, the whole movie seemed phony and contrived to me. I can put up with this in a dumb comedy or special-effects blockbuster, but this had none of those compensations.
Anyway, if you want a good movie about illegal immigrants going to LA, watch "El Norte"- a very authentic and genuinely moving film (although it has some laughs too).
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