By Roberto Leal
In Other Words, will be released On Digital and On Demand, September 8th and will air on HBO Latino on February 2021.
Love makes pendejos of all of us” — Sabi Segovia
It’s true that at some time or other technology has made “pendejos” (dummies) of us all. In the charming romantic comedy In Other Words high-tech apps, love, and wine are delightfully explored for laughs. Directed by Patrick Perez Vidauri (Lola’s Love Shack) and written by Cristina Nava (Lola’s Love Shack), In Other Words will be released on Digital and on Demand on September 8th and will air on HBO Latino on February 2021.
Described as a cross between Like Water for Chocolate and Sideways, this romantic comedy is about a tech geek, True Andrews (Bryan McClure) who lands an investor (Chris Kattan) for his matchmaking app.
But when True takes his app out for a test drive, he winds up matched with the beautiful Angelica ( Natasha Esca, Narcos: México), who seems to check off all the compatibility boxes on his app, except for one—she does not speak a word of English. True decides to correct the language algorithm glitch in his matchmaking app and pursues the lovely Angelica to Baja California.
True, his attorney Kiki (Joe Nunez Elena of Avalor), and his business partner, Ben, (Rishi Arya, Gray’s Anatomy) take a road trip to the verdant, scenic wine country of Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico, the inspiration for In Other Words.
“Initially, we considered San Miguel de Allende,” says Vidauri, “because it’s a beautiful, historic location.” He continues, “But when we visited Valle de Guadalupe (an area of Ensenada Municipality, Baja California) with its vineyards, world-class cuisine and culture, we knew this was the perfect place.”
It is a great choice. Valle de Guadalupe is often referred to as “The Napa Valley of Mexico.” However, that would be chronologically incorrect. Valle de Guadalupe was producing wine decades before the Napa Valley. So, it could be said that the “Napa Valley is the Valle de Guadalupe of California”.
When True and his buddies arrive in Valle de Guadalupe, they encounters Sabi, played by Enrique Castillo (Blood In, Blood Out, Tijuana), a local sage, mentor, and philosopher. Sabi is also secretly in love with Regina played by Renee Victor (Weeds), who plays Angelica’s overly protective aunt, and the feisty matriarch of the restaurant where Angelica resides. Upon his arrival, True also meets Karina, an aspiring chef and single mom played by Edy Ganem (Devious Maids). Karina acts as an intermediary between True and Angelica, to close the language and cultural gap between them.
“In these strange times, we are proud to team with [distributor] Viva Pictures, SNL Legend Chris Kattan and Latino stars to bring our hilarious romantic comedy that’s fun for the whole family to living rooms everywhere” said Vidauri.
Eventually, Angelica and True employ a language app in their phones, that allows them to speak into the phone in their native tongue. Press “enter”, and the phone translates and speaks in the other person’s mother tongue. Problem of communication solved. But that bit of technology underscores an uncredited character in this 21st century rom-com — Technology. It’s no surprise that screenwriter, Cristina Nava, uses technology, as a motif, throughout the film. Technology is a ubiquitous character in the lives of everyone on the planet, and thus, an unavoidable element in contemporary cinema.
It is hard to imagine some films without the omnipresence of cell phones. In the opening scene of Black Hawk Down (2001), as U.S. soldiers are helicoptering into Mogadishu to capture a rebel leader, we see a young Somali boy, on the outskirts of the city, with a cell phone, warning of the impending attack.
On a sub textual level, Nava’s script takes a light-hearted look at the intersectionality of technology and human interaction, through the prism of a romantic comedy. Sabi’s down-to-earth advice to True, on how to win the heart of the winsome Angelica, suggests that science and technology can explain the riddles of the physical world, but can never solve the mysteries of the human heart. “Inserting technology as a major element in the story,” says Nava, “was a purposeful decision and move on my part.”
Complications arise when romantic sparks erupt between True and Karina. The comedic style and tempo of In Other Words, recalls those zany screwball comedies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Vidauri and Nava, in addition to generous servings of sparkling dialog, toss in some funny sight gags and a bit of slapstick humor, for good measure. And as with all great screwball comedies, the romantic relationships between the protagonists is often filled with conflicting tensions and uncertainties.
Nava ends her story with some unanswered questions. It recalls that old cautionary tale, science fiction movie that concludes with: “The End? “In Other Words,” says Nava, “Was not meant to be an open ending or suggest a sequel.” She further explains, “Real life romances don’t always have neat, tidy endings and I wanted to explore that reality.”
Happily, we will see more from the husband and wife creative team of Los Angeles natives, Vidauri and Nava. It was recently announced that their independent film production company LuxIII and Grandave Capital has struck a three-film finance deal.
Next on Nava and Vidauri’s slate ia a thriller about the worldwide proliferation of fake news that fans hatred and leads to murder. The film is currently in pre-production with casting under way and scheduled to start shooting in 2021.
“We’re committed,” says Vidauri, “to creating stories that accurately reflect the universality of the Latinx experience in a positive light. These are, after all American stories that all audiences can identify with.”
As Hollywood begins opening up little by little, the talented team of Vidauri and Nava are keeping busy in anticipation of when they can get back to bringing their wide range of Latinx stories to life.
“Right now,” says Vidauri, “we’re basically hibernating and using the time to create new content. We’re hoping there will be a vaccine a year from now that will allow us to get back into production.”
In Other Words, will be released On Digital and On Demand, September 8th and will air on HBO Latino on February 2021.
In other Words
Director: Patrick Perez Vidauri
Writer: Cristina Nava
Stars: Bryan McClure, Edy Genem, Natalia Esca, Chris Kattan, Joe Nunez, Rishi Arya, Renee Victor and Enrique Castillo
Executive Producers: Ruben Islas, Stanley Preschutti, Paul Poste,