Online Connections in the COVID Era
Gay man forms virtual bond with teacher in “Language Lessons”
BY GARY M. KRAMER
Made during the pandemic,
the poignant
drama, “Language
Lessons” gets off to a
rocky start as Adam (Mark Duplass,
who also cowrote) is surprised by
his husband Will’s (Desean Terry)
gift of 100 one-hour Spanish lessons.
His initial reaction is shock,
and he is reluctant and overwhelmed
by the gift. The teacher,
Cariño (Natalie Morales who directed
and cowrote), is patient as
Adam tries to communicate with
her in Spanish and makes a very
amusing error when he says a word
en Español that has a very different
meaning en Inglés than what
Adam intended. Viewers who are
similarly patient will come to enjoy
the exchanges between Adam and
Cariño, which range from amusing
to revealing to heartfelt.
The fi lm, which unfolds as a
series of video chats, is about the
emotional connection that develops
between these two strangers
whose lives would probably not intersect
otherwise. Adam, who grew
up poor, is now wealthy, living in a
fabulous home in Oakland with his
husband, while Cariño is eking out
life in Costa Rica. He is seen on the
videos in his swimming pool, his
bedroom, his sauna, or his gym. In
contrast, Cariño has a more modest
background. She tries to teach one
class while walking through the
tropical rainforest and often talks
to Adam from her hammock.
The conversations are meant to
be immersive, and title cards before
each lesson hint at the subjects
— context, grammar, etc. — to
guide viewers as to the focus of the
sessions. Shrewdly, the fi lm drops
the characters and viewers right
into the lessons. Cariño does not
provide much of her background
to Adam. However, he is very forthcoming
about his life, possibly
crossing the line in this teacherstudent
relationship. Whereas she
makes efforts to keep the relationship
professional, he soon comes to
see her as a friend and confi dante.
Herein lies some of the fi lm’s magic;
Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales in “Language Lessons.”
viewers understand the dynamic
between these characters and generally
make the same assumptions
Adam does about Cariño based on
the information he receives during
their messages and interactions. It
is a deliberate approach and one
that speaks to some of the more
critical issues the fi lm raises about
privilege as when Adam tries to
help Cariño, and she perceives his
largess as “rich white savior guilt.”
“Language Lessons” develops
the connection between Adam and
Cariño quickly, as a tragic event
early in the fi lm prompts the pair
to temporarily suspend their professional
relationship and trade
messages that express care and
concern. Their conversations are
engaging and grow more compelling
as the fi lm progresses. Adam
talks about his meeting Will, while
Cariño slowly reveals details from
her life. One exchange takes place
with Cariño’s video turned off —
she has faulty internet — but then
accidentally reveals something that
gives Adam reasons for concern.
The series of encounters are
all cleverly handled, and Morales
takes advantage of the teleconference
sessions without making them
feel contrived or gimmicky. There
are moments where the videos hiccup
or freeze briefl y, which lends a
sense of realism to the scenes. And
while there are limitations to the
medium, the format works well to
create intimacy. (John G. Young’s
“bwoy,” from 2016, similarly depicted
a romance between two men
over Skype) “Language Lessons” often
fi lms the actors in close-up and
that forces Morales and Duplass to
project considerable emotion, especially
during some of the more intense
and dramatic moments.
The two performers — the only
actors to appear on camera — rise
to the challenge of the approach by
delivering carefully modulated performances.
As Adam, Duplass gets
to do some emoting and mugging
for the camera, but he also wears
his heart on his sleeve as his interest
in Cariño deepens. Morales
is much more (and appropriately)
restrained, providing a good foil for
Adam, balancing his more effusive
qualities with her calm reserve. A
sequence where a drunk Cariño
calls Adam in the middle of the
night to wish him a happy birthday
allows the actress-director to
show some range without giving
FILM
SHOUT!/JEREMY MACKIE
too showy a performance.
The different plot points that
come out in each session do build
to a climax, and if some of them
feel obvious or simplistic, that is
not necessarily a drawback because
the bond between Adam and
Cariño feels real — which is why
the fi lm works. That said, perhaps
the most interesting moments
show the characters alone on camera
as they leave video messages or
absorb what the other has just said
during a session that has ended.
There are hints of their personalities
that shine through as boundaries
are set, or tested, or ignored.
“Language Lessons” is about navigating
an online relationship and
the value of making an unexpected
connection. Morales’ pleasing fi lm
is not deep, but it is satisfying.
LANGUAGE LESSONS| Directed
by Natalie Morales | Opening September
10 | Distributed by Shout@
Studios
GayCityNews.com | September 9 - September 22, 2021 31
/GayCityNews.com
