La camarista (2018)

La camarista: Directed by Lila Avilés. With Gabriela Cartol, Agustina Quinci, Teresa Sánchez, Alán Uribe. A look at the working environment of a chambermaid in one of Mexico City’s most luxurious hotels.

“u0026quot;The Chambermaidu0026quot; is a poor manu0026#39;s answer to Alfonso Cuaronu0026#39;s u0026quot;Roma.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhere u0026quot;Romau0026quot; painted on a huge canvas, juxtaposing the isolation of the main characteru0026#39;s existence amidst the swirling carnival of life happening around her, the world as we know it might as well not exist at all in u0026quot;The Chambermaid.u0026quot; Or rather, the world is reduced to the hushed hallways, empty rooms, and service areas of a luxury hotel. Thatu0026#39;s where Eve works and never seems to leave. Her days are comprised of cleaning and taking care of other peopleu0026#39;s needs while taking care of none of her own. We see her half-heartedly pursuing classes in order to earn her GED, and we know she has a child she adores but only because we see her on the phone checking in with the person taking care of him. She doesnu0026#39;t seem to have any kind of dating life to speak of, though because of a couple of scenes we know sheu0026#39;s a sexual being. Her job is making her sick, but she pushes through the moments when she feels most unwell.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;The Chambermaidu0026quot; is a sobering film, and itu0026#39;s not that much fun to sit through. But itu0026#39;s a very well made film, and thereu0026#39;s something quietly mesmerizing about watching one of the nameless, faceless millions that the world is full of and who we interact with every day without really seeing slowly evolve into a full-bodied character with a rich interior life before our eyes. That this happens through long static shots and little dialogue makes the feat even more impressive. Kudos have to go to Gabriela Cartol, the actress who plays Eve and is in virtually every frame of the film. This is the kind of performance that will never garner any wide recognition, but itu0026#39;s one that should.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe only time we see Eve outside the walls of the hotel is in the filmu0026#39;s very last shot. But even then, though weu0026#39;re relieved to see her finally interacting with the larger world, we have to ask ourselves if thereu0026#39;s any place in it for her.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGrade: A”