Oh, the things some of us do to impress or sway the opinion of another person. I was dating someone who was the cohost of a local cable talk show. Their expertise involved anything that had to do with food. I know what you are thinking, my dreams were coming true. After being invited to their place for dinner a couple of times I wanted to reciprocate, but was totally intimidated by their cooking prowess. Not having much experience with cooking meals from scratch, I was nervous to invite them for a home cooked meal. Keep in mind “home cooked” meant a frozen pizza or a can of soup for me back then. For two weeks I scoured all kinds of recipe books, looking for one that listed exact measurements. I am one of those people who cannot be told to throw in a pinch of salt or add an ingredient for taste. Up until we sat down at the table, my stress level was wreaking havoc with my stomach; I could barely eat what I cooked. I knew the meal was nothing close to their elaborate meals; I could only hope I would get points for the effort. This is why I could relate to the main character in this romantic comedy. Jaime Camil (Saving Private Perez, Regresa) played mariachi singer Alejandro. Wanting a better life for his daughter, Alejandro applied for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. It was denied by embassy employee Rachel, played by Laura Ramsey (The Ruins, The Covenant). However, life had a funny way of presenting a second opportunity to make a good impression when Alejandro spotted Laura at a party he was performing at with his band. Jaime Camil was such a likable character in this bilingual film that I did not mind the formulaic story line. A bonus was his beautiful singing voice. The acting was standard; I was surprised to see Stockard Channing (Six Degrees of Separation, Grease) as Virginia and Tom Arnold (True Lies, Nine Months) as Art taking part in this film. Though I have not investigated, I had to wonder as I was watching the movie if it was quickly made due to the success of the Mexican film “Instructions Not Included” which I reviewed recently. There was a low budget feeling to the sets for me. Irregardless, I had to give points for the effort made to create a sweet romantic story. Some scenes had Spanish with English subtitles.

2 1/3 stars