Lingua Franca

Name: Lingua Franca
Genre: Drama
Released: August 26, 2020
Duration: 89 min
Rating: 61
Cast: Andrea Leigh, Ari Barkan, Christine Spang, Eamon Farren, Isabel Sandoval

2020

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.0

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6.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Lingua Franca

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Movie Details & Credits

ARRAY Releasing | Release Date (Streaming): August 26, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Andrea Leigh, Ari Barkan, Christine Spang, Eamon Farren, Isabel Sandoval, Ivory Aquino, Lev Gorn, Lynn Cohen, Mark Nelson, Matthew James Ballinger, Megan Channell, P.J. Boudousqué, Shiloh Verrico

Summary: Olivia (Isabel Sandoval), an undocumented Filipino transwoman, works as a caregiver to Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When Olivia runs out of options to attain legal status in the US, she becomes romantically involved with Alex (Eamon Farren), Olga's adult grandson, in the pursuit of aOlivia (Isabel Sandoval), an undocumented Filipino transwoman, works as a caregiver to Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When Olivia runs out of options to attain legal status in the US, she becomes romantically involved with Alex (Eamon Farren), Olga's adult grandson, in the pursuit of a marriage-based green card.… Expand

Director: Isabel Sandoval

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 89 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

The Film Stage Jose Solís

Aug 27, 2020

The film’s greatest achievement is the effortlessness with which Sandoval captures several microcosms simultaneously happening in New York City. Read full review

IndieWire Jude Dry

Aug 26, 2020

Lingua Franca illustrates the woefully untapped potential of marginalized storytellers. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Aug 26, 2020

Lingua Franca — which made a splash at the Venice Film Festival last year, the first film by a trans woman to be featured at the festival — is a gorgeous and delicate picture, an understated work that opens a window on an intimate world. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Aug 19, 2020

Sandoval has made a film with cultural currency and the rich texture of a New York setting for a story as immediate as today’s headlines, and just as sad. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Aug 27, 2020

Lingua Franca is, first and foremost, a story about yearning, vulnerability and sexual awakening in which the complications of identity are revealed slowly, with a dramatist’s awareness that our perceptions will change, or undergo a succession of changes, before we come back to seeing the decreasingly calm Olivia for who she is, a passionate spirit on an uncertain journey. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Aug 25, 2020

Lingua Franca is notable not just for the deftness of its overall assembly and performances, but for its approaching hot-button issues of the moment (the status/rights of both transpersons and undocumented workers) in ways that are insightful without being heavy-handed. Read full review

Stephen Dalton

Aug 25, 2020

While Sandoval's hard-working dedication is admirable, and her semi-autobiographical story full of latent dramatic potential, Lingua Franca is ultimately an underpowered, amateurish disappointment. Read full review

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User Reviews

katezoe

Oct 4, 2020

Sensitive and thoughtful film on some hard topics our society is grappling with. Kudos to director Isabel Sandoval.

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TVJerry

Sep 9, 2020

Isabel Sandoval has previously written and directed 2 films under her previous male identity Vincent, but this is her first foray after transitioning. She plays an undocumented Filipino trans woman, who works as a caregiver for an elderly Russian. She’s also saving money to send back home,Isabel Sandoval has previously written and directed 2 films under her previous male identity Vincent, but this is her first foray after transitioning. She plays an undocumented Filipino trans woman, who works as a caregiver for an elderly Russian. She’s also saving money to send back home, looking for a green-card marriage and constantly stressed from the threats of abrupt deportation. The Russian’s grandson offers some respite and hope, but her own doubts create additional anxiety. Even with the often-static camera and simple setups, the characters are well realized. Even so, the emotions are guarded, which never allows the drama full reign. The narrative sometimes veers abruptly leaving some confusion. Still, this is an interesting low-budget, indie film this is a quite personal and quietly compelling. (In Tagalog, Cebuano and English with NO subtitles, so turn on the CC or you’ll be lost.)… Expand

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JLuis_001

Apr 29, 2022

By combining two challenging experiences like being a trans woman and at the same time an illegal immigrant, Lingua Franca becomes a very relevant film.

The story is one that could easily have chosen darker and much more dramatic paths than what it ends up presenting, but at the same timeBy combining two challenging experiences like being a trans woman and at the same time an illegal immigrant, Lingua Franca becomes a very relevant film.

The story is one that could easily have chosen darker and much more dramatic paths than what it ends up presenting, but at the same time this provides a sense of naturalness that would have been more difficult to apply in a harsher drama.

I do criticize the director for not digging a little deeper into the situations she exposes, because even though these situations are not just on the surface, let's say it lacks a little more in-depth exploration and a bit of more background for her characters.

Very convincing, but overall it ends up being overly timid and discreet.… Expand

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Brent_Marchant

Apr 20, 2021

While this story of an undocumented transgender Filipino care giver seeking to find a way to legally remain stateside stems from a potentially engaging premise, it never goes anywhere once launched. The film's slight, underdeveloped narrative, with its many story threads that never fully panWhile this story of an undocumented transgender Filipino care giver seeking to find a way to legally remain stateside stems from a potentially engaging premise, it never goes anywhere once launched. The film's slight, underdeveloped narrative, with its many story threads that never fully pan out, yields a picture that flails about in search of focus. That's unfortunate, because writer-director Isabel Sandoval's latest has a rich vein of material to draw from if only it were given the development needed to make it flourish cinematically. What viewers are left with is a meandering piece with lots of long, lingering, gorgeously photographed shots that add little to a story that doesn't know where it ultimately wants to go.… Expand

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