I think the reason Cruz is less luminous in her American films is probably equally a problem with the language (her comfort level is not what it is with Spanish, clearly) and the fact that she has been cast in mostly forgettable, lightweight movies in the US. She is the feminine version of Antonio Banderas; he did fantastic work in Spain under Almodovar’s expert direction; he has pretty much done nothing but schlock in the US (Zorro? That laughable period piece with Angelina Jolie? You could go on and on…).