Margarita

A big hit on the LGBT film festival circuit, co-directors Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert's Canadian dramedy Margarita is an entertaining indie effort that succeeds on the strength of its ensemble cast and low-budget charm. The title character is an undocumented Mexican nanny (Nicola Correia Damude) who has worked many years for an upscale Toronto couple (Patrick McKenna, Claire Lautier) whose tomboy-teen daughter, Mali (Maya Ritter), loves Margarita like a sister. But on the personal side, Margarita's girlfriend, Jane (Christine Horne), is hesitant to commit when they're both so young (at 24), and when she's faced with the threat of deportation, Margarita makes preparations to return to Mexico, although circumstances take a turn for the better. It's a featherweight drama, leavened with gently amusing comedy (Canadian TV star McKenna scores a few good laughs as the well-meaning husband on the verge of financial disaster), but Margarita manages to keep the viewer emotionally invested in the fortunes and futures of its small, appealing cast of characters. Recommended. (J. Shannon)