Language Lessons

Last updated

Language Lessons
Language Lessons poster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Natalie Morales
Written by
Produced by Mel Eslyn
Starring
CinematographyJeremy Mackie
Edited byAshleka Ferreno
Music by Gaby Moreno
Production
company
Distributed by Shout! Studios
Release dates
  • March 1, 2021 (2021-03-01)(Berlinale)
  • September 10, 2021 (2021-09-10)(United States)
Running time
91 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Box office$73,257 [2] [3]

Language Lessons is a 2021 American screenlife drama film directed by Natalie Morales (in her directorial debut) and written by Morales and Mark Duplass. The film stars Morales, Duplass and Desean Terry. [4]

Contents

The film follows the unexpected friendship that develops between Adam, a man whose husband surprises him with online Spanish lessons, and his teacher, Cariño.

The film had its worldwide premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival on March 1, 2021. [5] It was released on September 10, 2021, by Shout! Studios.

Plot

Spanish instructor Cariño logs on for an online lesson with a student and is surprised to discover her student, Adam, was unaware of the lesson. To their surprise they learn that Adam's husband Will purchased the lesson as a surprise to help him, who was raised in various countries in Latin America, brush up on his Spanish.

Adam is further surprised that Will signed him up for 100 lessons. Despite some awkwardness he goes along with the lesson. Cariño learns that through his marriage to Will, Adam is extremely wealthy. He decides to continue with the lessons, promising to return in a week.

Cariño logs on for their second lesson and finds Adam still in bed. He reveals that Will died the night before, having been hit by a car while jogging; he has still not told anyone else about what happened. When Adam begins to panic Cariño helps calm him down by showing him the gardens near where she lives, eventually lulling him to sleep. Cariño continues to reach out sending Adam video messages and offering a homework assignment and some tips for self-care. At first Adam declines the assignment as he is still in grief but gradually he takes it up and resolves to continue learning.

For their third lesson, Cariño’s video appears not to be working due to poor Internet reception. They chat about Will’s passing and Adam reveals that prior to their relationship he had been married to a woman and in denial about being gay. During their discussion Cariño accidentally turns her video camera on, revealing her badly bruised face. She claims the bruises came from falling off her bike and becomes offended when Adam offers to buy her a new one. He later records a message for her, apologizing for making her uncomfortable but also revealing that he knows her bike story is a lie.

At the start of their fourth lesson, Adam asks how Cariño is doing, but she gets straight into the lesson, wanting to work on his grammar. Adam prefers that they just talk candidly as they have in the past, but Cariño insists, wanting to maintain a more professional relationship. He asks why she didn’t respond to his earlier messages, and she defensively replies that she just forgot to, continuing with the lesson.

Adam later gets a call from a drunken Cariño at 2:30 AM; she plays him guitar and sings him happy birthday. He asks how she knew it was his birthday, and she admits she stalked his social media as she wanted to know more about him. As they talk, Cariño reveals that she isn’t actually certified to teach Spanish and that she is recently divorced. The next morning, Cariño records a message for Adam apologizing for the late call and canceling their future lessons as she is dealing with personal issues; however, she deletes it without sending it.

During their next call, Cariño again tries to maintain a professional distance with Adam, but he presses on, asking her directly if her ex-husband beat her and offering to help. After Adam tells Cariño he loves her, she mocks him for making assumptions about her personal life. She tells him that she hasn't seen her ex in years and the bruises came from a bar fight with a stranger. Still sensing there is something wrong, Adam asks Cariño what is happening with her. She reveals she suspects she has cancer as she found a lump and both her mother and grandmother died of the disease. Adam offers to support her, but Cariño says it would be best if they ceased all contact and logs off.

Adam sends Cariño a video message, offering to fly her to Oakland and help her with her medical bills. If she doesn’t want to, he still thanks her for being a good friend and helping him through Will’s death. He sends another message some time later, apologizing if he offended her and admitting he misses her and just wants to talk. As he records the message, Cariño appears behind him, suitcases in hand, having decided to accept his offer; they embrace for the first time in person.

Cast

The cast include: [6]

Production

The film was developed and shot entirely while Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass were in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duplass had worked with Natalie Morales on the TV series Room 104 and suggested they collaborate on an idea he had about a Spanish teacher and a man taking lessons from her. [7]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Special section on March 1, 2021. [8] It also screened at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021. [9] Shortly after, Shout! Studios acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. [10] It was released on September 10, 2021. [11]

Reception

Language Lessons holds a 95% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 44 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.50/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Language Lessons extols the value of friendship with a simple story rendered all the more effective by its pure spirit and the chemistry between its leads." [12] Metacritic, another aggregator, sampled ten critics and calculated a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Morales (actress)</span> American actress and director

Natalie Morales is an American actress and director. She starred in the 2008 ABC Family series The Middleman and had a main role in 2009 on the first season of the USA Network series White Collar. In 2010, she appeared in the feature films Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Going the Distance. Morales also had a starring role in the Fox comedy series The Grinder, the NBC sitcom Abby's, and recurring roles in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, HBO's The Newsroom and the Netflix series Dead to Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Duplass</span> American actor and director

Mark David Duplass is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician. With his brother Jay Duplass, he started the film production company Duplass Brothers Productions in 1996, in which they wrote and directed The Puffy Chair (2005), Baghead (2008), Cyrus (2010), Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011), and The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012).

<i>Creep</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Patrick Brice

Creep is a 2014 American found footage psychological horror film directed by Patrick Brice, his directorial debut, from a story by Brice and Mark Duplass, who both star in the film. Filmed as found footage, Brice portrays a videographer assigned to record an eccentric client, played by Duplass. Creep was inspired by Brice's experiences on Craigslist and the movies My Dinner with Andre, Misery, and Fatal Attraction. Brice and Duplass refined the film's story during filming, which resulted in multiple versions of each scene and several alternate end scenarios.

<i>The One I Love</i> (film) 2014 film directed by Charlie McDowell

The One I Love is a 2014 American comedy thriller film directed by Charlie McDowell and written by Justin Lader, starring Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2014. It was released on August 1, 2014, through video on demand, prior to a limited release on August 22, 2014, by RADiUS-TWC.

<i>6 Years</i> 2015 American film

6 Years is a 2015 American romantic drama film written and directed by Hannah Fidell and starring Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Peter Vack, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass served as executive producers under their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. The film depicts two weeks in the relationship of college students Melanie Clark and Dan Mercer, as their 6-year romance turns violent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Brice</span> American film director

Donat Patrick Kack-Brice, known professionally as Patrick Brice, is an American film director, actor, screenwriter and cinematographer. He is known for directing Creep (2014), The Overnight (2015), Creep 2 (2017), Corporate Animals (2019) and There's Someone Inside Your House (2021).

<i>Blue Jay</i> (film) 2016 American film

Blue Jay is a 2016 American romantic drama film directed by Alex Lehmann in his fictional feature debut, from a screenplay by Mark Duplass. It stars Duplass and Sarah Paulson. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2016.

<i>Creep 2</i> 2017 film by Patrick Brice

Creep 2 is a 2017 American found footage psychological horror film directed by Patrick Brice and written by Brice and Mark Duplass. It is a sequel to Brice's 2014 film Creep, which was also written by Duplass and Brice. Duplass reprises his role from the first film as a serial killer who lures unsuspecting videographers to their deaths, with Desiree Akhavan portraying his latest target.

<i>On Body and Soul</i> 2017 film

On Body and Soul is a 2017 Hungarian drama film written and directed by Ildikó Enyedi. The story revolves around a CFO of a slaughterhouse and the newly appointed meat quality inspector who discover they can communicate with each other through their dreams, leading to an unlikely romance. It won the Golden Bear in the main competition section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin it also won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. It was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated at the 90th Academy Awards. Alexandra Borbély won the European Actress award at the European Film Awards for her performance in the film.

<i>Take Me</i> (film) 2017 American film

Take Me is a 2017 American "screwball" comedy film directed by Pat Healy and written by Mike Makowsky. It stars Healy opposite Taylor Schilling, along with Alycia Delmore and Jim O'Heir.

<i>Outside In</i> (film) 2017 film by Lynn Shelton

Outside In is a 2017 American drama film, directed by Lynn Shelton, from a screenplay by Shelton and Jay Duplass. It stars Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, Kaitlyn Dever, and Ben Schwartz.

<i>Wounds</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Babak Anvari

Wounds is a 2019 psychological horror film written and directed by Babak Anvari, in his English language debut, and starring Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz. The film is based on the novella The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud.

<i>Wild Nights with Emily</i> 2018 American film

Wild Nights with Emily is a 2018 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Madeleine Olnek. It stars Molly Shannon as Emily Dickinson, as well as Amy Seimetz, Susan Ziegler, Brett Gelman, Jackie Monahan, Kevin Seal, Dana Melanie, Sasha Frolova, Lisa Haas and Stella Chesnut. The film is based on the actual events of Emily Dickinson's life, including her process as a writer, her attempts to get published, and her lifelong romantic relationship with another woman.

<i>Bruised</i> (film) 2021 sports drama film by Halle Berry

Bruised is a 2020 sports drama film starring and directed by Halle Berry in her directorial debut, who also served as the producer. It co-stars Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Adriane Lenox. The screenplay was written by Michelle Rosenfarb.

<i>Relic</i> (2020 film) 2020 film

Relic is a 2020 Australian psychological horror film directed by Natalie Erika James from a screenplay by James and Christian White. The film stars Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, and Bella Heathcote.

<i>Shithouse</i> (film) 2020 film by Cooper Raiff

Shithouse is a 2020 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Cooper Raiff, in his directorial debut. It stars Raiff, Dylan Gelula, Logan Miller, and Amy Landecker.

<i>Not Going Quietly</i> 2021 American film

Not Going Quietly is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Nicholas Bruckman and produced by Amanda Roddy, following Ady Barkan, embarking on a national campaign for healthcare reform. Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Bradley Whitford serve as executive producers.

<i>Im Your Man</i> (2021 film) 2021 drama film by Maria Schrader

I'm Your Man is a 2021 German science fiction romance film written and directed by Maria Schrader and starring Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens and Sandra Hüller. It premiered at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021. It was selected as the German entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

<i>Plan B</i> (2021 film) 2021 American film

Plan B is a 2021 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Natalie Morales from a screenplay by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy. The film stars Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma. It is titled after the brand of emergency contraceptive, which plays a significant role in the film's plot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">72nd Berlin International Film Festival</span> German film festival

The 72nd annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, took place from 10 to 20 February 2022 in person. On 15 December 2021 the first film of the festival was announced. The festival opened with François Ozon's drama film Peter von Kant. Isabelle Huppert was awarded Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement on 15 February 2022 at the Berlinale Palast award ceremony. Her film by Laurent Larivière, À propos de Joan was also screened.

References

  1. ↑ "Language Lessons". Berlin International Film Festival . Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Language Lessons (2021)". The Numbers . Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Language Lessons (2021)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  4. ↑ Press Office (February 11, 2021). "Feb 11, 2021 Berlinale Special – Engaging Stories, Current Topics, Personal Journeys". Berlin International Film Festival . Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  5. ↑ Grater, Tom (February 11, 2021). "Berlinale Unveils Competition Line-Up: New Pics From Daniel Bruhl, Celine Sciamma, Radu Jude, Xavier Beauvois & Hong Sang-soo". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Language Lessons". Variety Insight . Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  7. ↑ Beaupre, Mitchell (September 26, 2021). "Interview: Talking 'Language Lessons' with Natalie Morales" . Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  8. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (February 11, 2021). "Berlin Film Festival Unveils Competition Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ Day-Ramos, Dino (February 10, 2021). "SXSW Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup; Charli XCX Quarantine Feature To Close Fest; Tom Petty Docu Set As Centerpiece". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  10. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 6, 2021). "Natalie Morales' SXSW Winner 'Language Lessons' Finds U.S. Home At Shout! Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ Grobar, Matt (July 22, 2021). "'Language Lessons' Trailer, Release Date: First Look At SXSW Audience Award Winner From Natalie Morales & Mark Duplass". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Language Lessons". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Language Lessons Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 7, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.