A drama
centered on a maid trying to hold on to her position
after having served a family for 23 years.
User Reviews
"She''s like one of the family"
by Red-125
La Nana (2009), shown in the U.S. as "The Maid," was
written and directed by Sebastián Silva. This film
recounts the life, and plight, of a maid in a well-to-do
Chilean family. Catalina Saavedra portrays Raquel, who
has worked for the same family for 23 years. She lives
in their home, and knows their habits, secrets, and
idiosyncrasies.
The problem is that Raquel has no life outside of the
family, and nothing much to show for these years of
devoted service. It''s true that everyone considers her
"one of the family," but she really isn''t. When her
behavior becomes somewhat erratic, the family has to
cope with the problem.
To their credit, they don''t consider firing Raquel, but
their solution is to hire another maid. Raquel perceives
this as a threat to her position and identity. Her
efforts to force the new maids to leave are treated as
comedy, and they are humorous, but beneath the humor is
the sad fact that if Raquel loses her central position
within the household, she loses her the only thing of
value that she has.
Catalina Saavedra is outstanding as Raquel. In fact, it
would be hard to imagine another actor in the role. You
accept her as La Nana, and you have to remind yourself
that this is a work of fiction, not a documentary about
domestic service in Chile.
The film is worth seeking out, although the ending is
not really satisfying. Despite the weak ending, it''s a
movie made with skill and obvious respect for the
protagonist. It was shown in the Dryden Theatre,
Rochester, as part of the excellent Rochester Labor Film
Series. It may be hard to find in a theater, and will
work well on a small screen. See it!
