Overrated

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

With startling realism, Jorge Gaggero's film delves into the delicate relationship between employee and employer. Due to an incredible pair of professional and non-professional actors, a modern story of class struggle is told with very few bells and whistles beyond the brilliant acting. Set in Buenos Aires during the financial crisis of 2001, this film examined the idea of what happens when economic hardships level the playing field between the affluent and the working class. An understated teeter-totter of tension and tenderness is always present in the interactions of Beba Pujol (Norma Aleandro) and her maid, Dora (Norma Argentina). Without speaking a word, it's obvious that both women come from very different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. European- looking Beba can barely exist without the help of a hard-working maid who was selected by the director for her more stereotypically indigenous looks. The existence of this tension and class division is very much a living issue that's broached with tact, maybe even a little comedy, by the filmmaker. Although the dialogue was as subtle as the plot, the film captured the emotions of both protagonists so beautifully that there is never a misunderstanding about what's going on. Even in moments of silence, a look or gesture speaks a thousand words. Hand-held cameras, natural lighting, and a noticeable absence of soundtrack succeed in allowing the audience to forget that they're watching a film, and instead, simply watch two women. Norma Argentina, who was a maid for twenty years before venturing into acting, plays this role with an honesty of emotion that is hypnotizing. While extremely thought-provoking, this movie isn't appropriate for someone who wants a definitive ending or specific message. If you're willing to sacrifice a little excitement in exchange for a masterpiece of nuance and character study, Live-in Maid is a real treat.

Cama adentro is a no-action movie that seems slow at times, but does a fantastic job capturing a surprising bond between women and their pride in a time of separate struggles. This movie is similar to other Latin American films in that it depicts the reality of friendships, the relationship between a lady and her help and the down turning economy that forced many people during the 21st century to struggle between dignity and survival. The slow tone of the movie illustrates both woman's tough lives at the current time; it makes it seem like the maid has tried to quit for a long period of time before finally resigning and it emphasizes the number of unsuccessful days and attempts Beba makes to try get enough money to afford her loyal Dora: her maid and only companion. The slow tone is not a boring tone though, it spares us tedious insignificant details that other movies may take the time to include. Another factor that stresses the depressing situation without verbal description is the repetition of monotonous activities that the Beba is constantly bringing up which are her hopeless attempt to sell a beauty line, her constant need for whisky and her detached daughter that Beba is naively dependent on. Hitting the emotion part of the audience, Jorge Gaggero manages to combine a realistic and depressing situation with characters that are both lovable. Capturing certain facial expressions and character interaction along with the camera angles and the mood he produces we get a real sense of pain and hard times along with the final resolution of happiness.

Beautifully written and directed by Jorge Gaggero, "Live-in Maid" is a bit like an Argentine version of "Driving Miss Daisy." Beba (Norma Aleandro) is an aging divorcée from the privileged upper classes whose ever-worsening financial situation is making it harder and harder for her to maintain herself in the style to which she is accustomed - including paying the salary of Dora (Norma Argentina), her loyal but long-suffering housekeeper who has put up with her boss' moodiness, petulance and condescending attitude for thirty years now. Yet, as in "Miss Daisy," the relationship between these two women cannot be pigeonholed quite so neatly. In fact, their story, rich in ambiguity and emotional complexity, comes to reflect in miniature the much broader conflict that exists between the ruling class and the servant class in our society. In truth, there is no logical reason why these two individuals from wildly divergent social backgrounds should even be expected to get along at all. Certainly, Dora has every reason to resent Beba for her privilege, her rank and the often imperious manner in which she treats her. Yet, in her own way, the stoic, taciturn Dora comes to pity Beba for the hard times, both financially and emotionally, that the previously pampered woman suddenly finds herself going through. Indeed, things get so bad for Beba that she is forced to sell virtually everything she owns to keep herself afloat, and even has to humiliate herself by trading merchandise for food in a second-rate cafeteria. In addition, Beba's grown daughter wants to play as little a part in her mother's life as possible. In the same way, although Beba clearly doesn't treat Dora as her equal, she understands deep down inside that this "subordinate" is also probably the only real companion left to her in the world, the one person she can reach out to for comfort and support. The relationship between them may be one of mistress and servant, but the two parties also have much that unites them, including the problems common to women their age, their concomitant struggles with money, and the fact that fate has thrust them together for such prolonged and extended periods of time that they can't help but get to know one another on an intimate level. It is the discovery of their common humanity, brought about by this enforced closeness, that finally allows their relationship to blossom into a friendship between equals that crosses class lines.On a sociological level, the movie points out the irony that it is the people with the most power who, when the chips are down, are really the most helpless and fragile - and the people with the least power who are the most persevering and tough and seemingly most equipped to cope with the vicissitudes of life. Superbly understated performances by the pair of Normas - their scenes together are really quite breathtaking and quietly masterful - as well as flavorful and subtle storytelling make "Live-in Maid" an intensely poignant, wholly believable and thoroughly absorbing experience throughout.

Greetings again from the darkness. Very intimate tale of the 30 year relationship between a once wealthy woman and her live-in maid. Written and directed by Jorge Gaggero, the film picks up as Bebe is finally starting to acknowledge her financial difficulties and Dora her maid, is just about at the end of her patience, after not being paid for more than 7 months.Obviously the bond created by time between the women is very strong, but only really shows at the oddest moments ... a sharp of glass in the foot or while hosting ladies night. The two lead performances are sterling and top notch. Veteran actress Norma Aleandro plays Bebe as a drunken, yet prideful woman, who obviously needs the companionship of her maid/friend. Norma Argentina plays the mostly stoic Dora as the maid who realizes she is the salvation to this very proud woman whose life is crumbling.The intimacy of the scenes with both is pretty strong stuff and the nuanced performances are rarely seen in American cinema. Buenos Aires is given little screen time, but we still get the drift of the social pressures of a past life. Very strong film that was a Sundance favorite in 2005, but is only now making the rounds at indie theatres.