A significant amount of applause should be given to the new comedy How to Be a Latin Lover simply for the nature of its premise. The film tells the story of a Latino gigolo who suddenly finds himself middle-aged and struggling to grow up. It’s truly a great idea for a comedy because, even if it’s not the most diverting of issues, one can’t help but indeed wonder: What does ever happens to these guys when they age out of their prettiness? What is their worth; their purpose? How to Be a Latin Lover may not give a credible response to any of these questions, nor is anyone all that desperate to know the answers to them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make for a lightweight, yet enjoyable time at the movies.
In How to Be a Latin Lover, Eugenio Derbez stars as Maximo, a man in his late 40s whose older wealthy wife (Renee Taylor) has just thrown him out. With no place to go, Maximo follows the advice of his best friend Rick (Rob Lowe) and shows up on the doorstep of his estranged sister Sara (Salma Hayek) and her 10-year-old son Hugo (Raphael Alejandro). Sara takes him, but insists Maximo get a job if he plans on staying. However when he notices the attractive and wealthy Celeste (Raquel Welch), he becomes determined to conjure up his Latin lover ways to get back to his former life.
In a comedy, it’s all about the jokes and How to Be a Latin Lover has plenty of those, even only a handful actually score. The jokes which do indeed work, do so because of the level of darkness they go for. One such example happens early on when Maximo recounts an early childhood moment when his father accidentally ran his 18-wheeler truck straight through the family home, then yelling “I’m okay,” to his shocked family just before the truck explodes with him inside of it. If only the film’s level of humor would have stayed in this vein instead of veering off into more familiar territory. While some moments score (including when Sara and her boss see that Maximo has let Hugo drive her car to pick her up at work, and Sara’s boss interrupts her nervous attempt to explain by saying: “It’s fine. I’m not one of those people concerned with the safety of children”), most play it safe due to the family aspect of the film. Most of the film’s remaining jokes center around Maximo dealing with normal life and the cute rapport shared by him and Hugo. How effective it all is will depend on personal taste, but since the film is made by a handful of people who know comedy (including Ken Marino who makes his directorial debut here), How to Be a Latin Lover is certainly never shy on material.
Greatly helping the material is a strong amount of pathos, which is effective without being too overwhelming. Though it’s never preachy, the film does in fact end up being a comment about self-worth and the importance of family. It’s the strength of the familial bond which is at the root of the film and invariably ends up outshining moments of Maximo trying to prove to the world he’s still got it. One instance between him and Sara in which brother and sister are simply enjoying each other’s company and bonding is one of the film’s most carefree and tender sequences with the two actually taking the time to discover each other again. Speaking of Sara, the film does right by its female lead and makes her a great example of an independent Latina woman who is doing a good job as a single parent while climbing the career ladder. She’s a perfect illustration of the prototype: driven and firm, but also vulnerable and loving.
The performances How to Be a Latin Lover’s large supporting cast is one of the biggest mixed bags any film has produced in a while. Much of this can definitely be chalked up to a variety of characters, which range from hilarious to downright unplayable. While Rob Riggle and Rob Huebel nail it as a pair of “menacing” bullies out to pulverize Maximo, Rob Corddry as a humorless chauffeur and Kristen Bell as a cat-loving yogurt shop manager turn in the worst performances of their careers. At the same time, it’s great to see Welch and Lowe going for broke and poking fun at their past movie images, with Lowe in particular scoring as another aging gigolo.
As for the three leads, each one brings their individual strengths to the movie and in their own way, proves to be the heart of the film. Alejandro is a genuinely attentive and intuitive young actor who makes a great straight man for Derbez. Hayek meanwhile adds another great role to her resume (which includes last year’s Septembers of Shiraz and the upcoming Beatriz at Dinner), bringing out Sara’s varied qualities and keeping the movie grounded in reality. Derbez is game for anything and is never afraid to take Maximo to the silliest of places, yet he wisely keeps his character’s humanity in tact, making sure the audience remains firmly on his side. After his success with Instructions Not Included, How to Be a Latin Lover is the perfect vehicle to further show what a talented performer Derbez indeed is and what a capable leading man he can be.
If you switch cultures, the role of Maximo is one which could have been played by ANY number of comedic actors. The role is a silver platter for a host of comedic names to shine for audiences. One could easily see the likes of Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler trying their hand at material such as this. However it would have made for a completely different movie in both comedy and ideology. There’s no doubt Carrey would have opted for slapstick and Sandler, would have gone the route of outrageousness. Yet the reason How to Be a Latin Lover exists as a charming, if safe, romp, is because of its committed and endearing star, who, like any Latin lover worth his weight in hair product, knows just when to turn it on.
