Cama adentro

I haven't seen a lot of Argentinian films, but I have enjoyed immensely the ones I have. This is a great example of the art-house films that are made in Argentina.

Jorge Gaggero was honored not only in Argentina, but at Sundance for this work that he wrote and directed.

It tells the story of a rich woman, Beba(Norma Aleandro, The Official Story), who has fallen on hard times and cannot afford to pay her electric or phone, much less her maid. The Maid, Dora (Norma Argentina in her first role), is trying to build a house on the outskirts of town and needs the money to finish, so she quits to find another job.

Everything is done with grace, as Beba tries to keep up appearances, even as she has resorted to selling cosmetics door-to-door to pay the bills, or in some cases, just to eat. The dance between employer-employee becomes more and more intricate as the power relationship changes.

The ending was a big surprise, but a testament to the love these two women had built up for each other over 30 years.

A superb film.