Jason: Amnesia in our little town.
[she sees the story on Leonardo losing his memory after going overboard]
Kate: That’s him.
Theresa: I have an idea that is poetic in its justice.
He’s egotistical. She’s just a hard working single mother who wants to support her family and keep them in their house. When Kate, a carpet cleaner, goes to the yacht of Leonardo after his wild night to clean up, she encounters a self-absorbed man. At first look, Leonardo is only concerned for himself; it is clear that he only lives to have others wait on him, hand and foot. That is, until he falls overboard and forgets who is he is. Now, it is Kate’s plan to show Leonardo just how it feels to be treated like dirt when she poses as his wife and brings him home as a poor construction worker.
Leonardo is played by comedian Eugenio Derbez. He captures the role of Leonard perfectly, bringing the same Spanish flair as he did in his previous film, How To Be A Latin Lover. One can definitely see why Derbez was cast, but at the same time, his character is the one who goes through the most drastic change in somewhat of a short timespan. From the time when he falls off the boat, to the moments spent with Kate and her girls, he is quickly awoken to a new possibility of life where love is more important that that of his self-absorbed, money-focused life.
And Anna Faris exceptionally captures her role as Kate, who convinces her daughters and friends to play along with the idea of a fake husband, knowing that she can’t keep it up forever. The question, though, remains — is it too late to go back once she’s started? Overall, Faris portrays the same fun-like characteristics as in her TV series, Mom, as she makes motherhood fun by adding in a fake husband. The director did well in casting Anna Faris to replace the original Goldie Hawn. Her appearance and mannerisms match that of her predecessor despite the fact that Hawn was the one with amnesia versus Faris, who is the one doing the convincing.
The chemistry between Derbez and Faris is somewhat shaky in the beginning. One can definitely see a connection at first meeting, and though Leonardo tries to play it off as unacceptable, it is clear that once the plot takes place, the romance is bound to grow. In a way, the shakiness of the relationship enhances the portrayal and makes it realistic, though it’s a bit of a stretch for someone to be bad enough to push another person physically “overboard.” That aside, the sparring match between Faris and Derbez progresses seamlessly through joke after joke bouncing off one another, distilling the relationship that eventually gets stronger as the film goes on.
Based on the 1987 remake, the film follows the same story line with a slightly different twist. The 2018 version adds the new flair of Spanish language, with one-third of the film spoken in Spanish. It is still just as funny, but I feel a lot of the dialogue gets lost in translation. Those who are not Spanish speaking are slower to get the jokes than someone who understands. I can definitely see why the director opted to include language as a complement, since it does allow the viewers to see just how privy he is to the story line and cultural background of his secondary protagonist. The other difference is the gender swap from the original. It’s a nice touch to draw the fans in to make them see how the opposite sex handles the challenges in different ways.
Overall, the film does contain lots of humorous and heartfelt moments. It’s a film that nearly everyone that sees it will find something to connect with. The only thing that disconnected me were the subtitles, causing me to miss some crucial jokes. That being said, it is recommended for anyone who needs a good night out for great laughs. Maybe not recommended for young audiences, due to a little brief nudity, but it’s up to parental discretion.