276. The Chambermaid (La camarista); movie review

THE CHAMBERMAID
Cert 15
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains scene of sexualised nudity

This year's cinema offerings have been punctuated by movies which have admirable attention to detail but are not very exciting.
The Chambermaid is an example - I have no doubt of its accuracy in depicting the life of a young woman who makes beds and cleans rooms.
The monotony of her job is reflected by the amount of repetition in the movie.
But there is simply no excitement in Lila Avilés's film - so, both Mrs W and I found our minds wandering off.
Gabriela Cartol stars as Eve - a conscientious young chambermaid, following her day-to-day activities in a luxury hotel in Mexico City.
Despite having some strange guests and some testing management, she ensures her rooms are immaculately presented each morning.
She is quiet but gets on with her colleagues and attends a literacy class which she believes will help her achieve her ambition of being responsible for the exclusive penthouse suite on the 42nd floor.
Her earnings provide for a young son who she never sees (he is never seen during the movie).
And so, we see Eve lead a lonely life despite being surrounded by the hundreds of people who either work or reside in the hotel.
She tidies the mess of ungrateful guests, tries to weave herself around the staff politics and quietly obsesses over breaking out of the humdrum.
But watching somebody do a boring job, however accurately presented is a bit tedious after a while.
So, while being impressed by both the attention to detail and central performance in The Chambermaid, I struggle to recommend it.

Reasons to watch: A very detailed eye on what it is like to be a Chambermaid
Reasons to avoid: Not enough happens

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 5.5/10

Did you know - Chambermaid is based on research in the award-winning El Presidente Intercontinetal Hotel in Mexico City.

The final word. Lila Avilés: "Being close to chambermaids and to the hotel (during research) gave me a real picture of the high standards of quality required for their work. The process was intimate and lovely to the extent that I decided to include some of the women in the film under the same role and with their real names."

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