EugenioDerbez – Credits Rolling

Famous movie star Olivia (Samara Weaving) finds herself in a PR disaster when photos of her and her married boyfriend Vincent (Max Greenfield) hit every news outlet in the city. Needing to do damage control before her upcoming premiere, they enlist the help of humble, hardworking valet Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) to pretend to be Olivia’s new boyfriend.

Based on the 2006 French movie La Doublure, The Valet took me by surprise. While it was yet another story featuring a mismatched couple, it struck me in ways that I was not expecting it to and I only wish more people knew about it.

The chemistry between our two leads Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving shouldn’t seem like it would work, but it totally does. I have never seen the former in anything before and found his Antonio charming and funny. Samara Weaving has slowly been working her way up my favorites list having starred in TV shows Hollywood and Nine Perfect Strangers. Her comedic role here was something I never knew I needed.

It was fun to see Max Greenfield portray such a slimy character – something very different than the roles we are used to seeing him in. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a douchebag his character Vincent was. Betsy Brandt who stars as Vincent’s wife Kathryn was certainly no pushover which was refreshing to see. I loved that she wanted to take him down.

I must give a special shoutout to the latino representation that was depicted throughout the movie. Getting to know Antonio’s colleagues, friends and family was such a joy. I really felt the authenticity in those relationships and I loved the incorporation of Spanish whenever these scenes were happening.

What I liked the most about The Valet was while I thought I knew where it was going, I ended up being very wrong (in the best possible way). There were some twists thrown in that hit me like a ton of bricks and made me feel all the emotions. It’s an off beat romantic comedy that teaches you the importance of family and being true to yourself. If this was your first time hearing about it, I highly recommend adding it to your weekend viewing. You won’t be sorry.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Ruby, (Emilia Jones) a seventeen year old girl who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts is the only hearing member of a deaf family. All her life, she has gone above and beyond to help her mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), her father Frank (Troy Kotsur) and her brother Leo (Daniel Durant). When her family’s fishing business finds itself in trouble, Ruby feels herself being pulled in two directions. She wants to be there for her family, but she just started singing in the school’s choir led by Bernardo Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) who is aiding her to audition for Berklee College of Music.

All of the buzz surrounding CODA and the fact that it did so amazingly at the Sundance Film Festival is what made me want to watch it. I had a feeling that it would be something special. I just didn’t realize how much.

This was absolutely phenomenal. Based on a French movie called La Famille Belier, CODA had my heart breaking and mending simultaneously throughout. Ruby was such a relatable teen and yet I could never even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for her to choose between her family and her dream. At the same time, I felt bad for her family who wanted to be treated as equals, but who were also scared to put themselves out there. The fact that actual deaf actors were casted in the roles of Ruby’s parents and brother made it all the better and more impressive. More films should take a cue from this one going forward.

I didn’t know what to expect going into CODA and it wound up completely blowing my mind. The storyline, the music – everything was perfectly executed. It’s a film that really makes you think and one that will definitely make you cry. I know I did.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥