Language Lessons, the feature directorial debut of Natalie Morales, is hands down one of the best movies you could catch at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. This drama draws you in with its raw honesty at what relationships, particularly digital ones, are like in 2021. And it keeps you in place with the love that is shared between two people leading very different lives during one of the worst pandemics in modern history.
Cariño, played by Natalie Morales, is a Spanish language teacher who is hustling forward in life. She is hired to teach Adam, played by Mark Duplass, Spanish. Everything is fine at first. And you gain this clear understanding that Cariño and Adam lead two very different lives in no time. Cariño, who lives in Costa Rica, is just barely making it in comparison to Adam, who lives in a big and fancy house in California.
Even during their first lesson together, it’s clear that there is a spark between Cariño and Adam. It’s not romantic, as Adam is married to his husband Will, and taking that romantic aspect out of it, this will they/won’t they makes for a film where you don’t worry about an extramarital affair or any sort. These are just two people, getting to know each other, and becoming friends along the way.
Things take a turn for the devastating in Language Lessons when Adam loses someone close to him. Surprisingly, Cariño steps up. She doesn’t have to. And she’s miles and miles away from him. But she steps up, acts as a shoulder to lean on, and gives him the perspective that he needs during his time of crisis. This kindness is what cements their friendship and what grounds the movie in general.
Relationships, especially ones built online, are hard to upkeep. They require more work, love, and patience because that person isn’t there with you physically. You have to use your words, speak your mind, and let the other person know what you’re feeling because some of the physical cues are lost in translation online.
And honestly, relationships like this lead to bonds that are sometimes stronger than the physical ones you have around you. And the proof is in the relationship Cariño and Adam build over Language Lessons. There’s joy there in the way they light up each other’s worlds. There’s care in the way they look out for each other’s well-being. And there’s love in the way they are with each other.
That part about love is something that many think is impossible. How can you love someone you’ve never met? Simple. You learn who they are, even the ugly bits, and you gain an appreciation for them as individuals and people. From then on out it’s easy to fall in love with someone, even if it’s platonic like Cariño and Adam.
That’s why Language Lessons is such a beautiful story. It tears away at social convention and paints a raw picture of what it means to be human. In turn, you’re left with a story that draws you in, soothes your soul, and leaves you invested in the bond between two people who have never physically met. For now.
(image: Jeremy Mackie)
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