Institute History
Description
Two classic parts, two wonderful actresses, and one writer/director with the genius to bring them together combine to make a near-perfect film encapsulating the current economic and social crisis in Argentina.
Jorge Gaggero spins the bittersweet tale of Beba (Norma Aleandro), a spoiled socialite whose business failings and personal crises have worn her down. Beba's weighty gold earrings and her live-in maid Dora (Norma Argentina) are the last bastions of a lifestyle long ago faded, like the wallpaper in her upscale apartment. After six months with no pay, Dora finally needs to resign and get on with the life she never really had. But how do you end a relationship that has lasted three decades?
The tone of Live-in Maid is intimate and charming. It is glorious fun to revel in the antics of Gaggero's characters as they dance their well-rehearsed roles as servant and master. Aleandro and Argentina are flawless in their interpretations of these women who cling to each other as if to resuscitate an era in decline. But each knows her place, and both are careful not to shatter the fragile illusion that sustains them. Because if that happened, they might come to realize that they are all they have—and need to have—to be happy.