The Maid (Saturdy, October 31, 2009) (155)

The Maid is a small Chilean film about a house maid, Raquel, who works in an upper-middle class house in a fancy neighborhood in Santiago. She's in her late 30s and has spent 20-some years with the family helping to raise the four children. As she goes about her mundane day-to-day routine of vacuuming, washing clothes, cooking and minding the kids, she slips into a deep funk where she feels more and more unloved and disrespected by the household. She is somewhat hampered by migraines, so the family hires a series of assistants to help her with her tasks. Upset and insulted that she might need help, she marks her territory and works to make their lives impossible so they quit.

By far the best single element in the film is the lead performance by Catalina Saavedra. She is lovable, but somewhat pitiful; she's a proud woman who also behaves childishly; She's vulnerable and vindictive at the same time. The snapshot of her that is used in the poster for this film sums up the character and her performance perfectly. She's beaten down, but still lives to fight another day - and does so somewhat devilishly. I hope she gets attention from the various award-givers later this year and next. So far, I think hers is the best performance by a woman this year.

The tag-line of the film, "She's more or less family" encapsulates the heart of the story. Director Sebastian Silva does a wonderful job of showing how despite being so deeply rooted in this bourgeois family, Raquel will never be one of them. In the first scene, when it is her birthday and the family is trying to celebrate with her, we think it is strange that she does not want to join them. But soon we see that she is treated somewhat unkindly by them - especially by the father. He can barely get out the words to wish her a happy birthday before rushing off to his study to 'work' on his model ship building. Later, he asks that the children close the kitchen door in Raquel's face so they can eat supper together.

There is a feeling of guilt that pervades the relationship between the lady of the house, Pilar, and Raquel. Pilar does not want to step on Raquel's toes and, despite the fact that she knows the relationship is not going well and that Raquel is not happy, she cannot fire her or even give her a stern warning. At one point when Raquel has a physical fight with one of the assistants, Pilar covers for her in front of her husband. Pilar is somewhat trapped knowing Raquel's happiness is somewhat a reflection on the life that has been created for her by the family - but also that a bad attitude has an overall negative effect on the household.

This film is very reminiscent of the 2007 Argentine film Live-In Maid, which dealt with many of the same issues of class and the end of the bourgeoisie in South America. In that, there is a sense that the rich woman cannot figure out her life without the maid, who has also become her best friend. There is a sense that the monetary relationship between the two affects the personal relationship. That financial element is here too. It it hard not to wonder whether Raquel would be so well loved by the family if she did not work for them - or if their love for her is contingent on the fact that they also pay her a salary.

For a somewhat simple-looking movie, I think there is a lot of interesting sociopolitical stuff here - and the style is very intimate and immediate-feeling. Again, Saavedra's performance alone is worth the price of the ticket.

Stars: 3 of 4