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Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celedón, Mariana Loyola, Andrea García-Huidobro, Alejandro Goic ... see more see more... , Agustín Silva , Anita Reeves , Mercedes Villanueva , Darok Orellana , Sebastian La Rivera , Delfina Guzmán , Luis Dubó , Jose Luis Munoz , Andreína Olivarí , Gloria Canales , Luis Wigdorsky , Juan Pablo Larenas

A woman feels she must fight to hold on to her place in the household where she's been a servant for much of her life in this drama from writer and director Sebastian Silva. Raquel (Catalina Saavedra)... read more read more... works as a maid for a well-to-do Chilean family, and has been with the household so long that she's come to think of herself as part of the family. However, Raquel is also aware of the distance between herself and her employers, and though she's fiercely devoted to Mundo Valdes (Alejandro Goic), his wife, Pilar (Claudia Celedón), and their son, Lucas (Agustín Silva), she finds herself increasingly at odds with their rebellious daughter, Camila (Andrea García-Huidobro). Years of hard and unrelenting work have begun to take their toll on Raquel, and Mundo decides she could use some help; he hires a young au pair, Mercedes (Mercedes Villanueva), to assist her, but Raquel refuses to allow anyone to usurp her role in any way, and treats the girl so horribly she soon quits. Unaware of the conflict between Raquel and Mercedes, Mundo hires an older and more experienced women to work with Raquel, Sonia (Anita Reeves), and it's not long before the two domestics are locked in a fierce battle of wills. La Nana (aka The Maid) received its American premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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80% liked it

2,889 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

63 critics

NC-17, 1 hr. 57 min.

Directed by: Sebastián Silva

Release Date: October 16, 2009

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DVD Release Date: June 22, 2010

Stats: 266 reviews

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La Nana (The Maid) La Nana (The Maid) Catalina Saavedra Alejandro Goic
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Flixster Reviews (266)

  • flickfever
    January 4, 2011
    flickfever
    I loved this satirical look at the class system in Latin-American culture (in this instance: Chile)! But, under the surface of an obvious social commentary lies a tender story of a woman who is adamantly entrenched in her role as a no-nonsense housekeeper when what she really nee... read moreds is, quite simply, a helping hand in her own life.
  • dunmyer
    October 30, 2009
    dunmyer
    "The Maid" is a modest, low-budget Chilean film from a relatively unknown writer/director, Sebastian Silva. It is a character study of a lonely, childless, middle-aged maid named Raquel, who is played in an impressively understated and naturalistic way by Catalina Saavedra.

    Th... read moreere is a fine line, however, between understated and boring, and "The Maid" unfortunately slides across the line into boring one too many times. But there is some special cinematic work here, and I'm pleased that the film has gotten attention beyond the confines of Chile. It is also nice to see a maid character at the center of a serious film -- it's about time. Maid characters are typically used as comic relief or are just part of the background. Silva really upends this tradition by making Raquel the center of the story and focusing all his attention on her inner life.

    Raquel is a live-in maid who has been working for the same suburban family for close to 20 years. The family of six is vibrant and happy, but Raquel seems to be unhappy about something. She has a strange hostility toward the oldest child, which is difficult to watch. It doesn't appear that the girl has done anything to deserve this mistreatment. When the family hires a second maid to help Raquel, she goes almost insane, locking the new maid out of the house, maniacally disinfecting the bathroom every time the new maid uses it, and abusing the family's new kitten. The new maid, a delightful young Peruvian woman, quits within a month.

    But the lady of the house will not give up. She insists on getting a second maid. So we watch Raquel terrorize yet another servant, but then the third is the charm. The third new maid (played beautifully by Mariana Loyola) breaks through to Raquel. A touching friendship emerges, and we come to learn a lot more about Raquel and about the peculiar emotional challenges of being a live-in maid. Is she part of the family or is she not? Being both in and out is very tough. I had never even considered this.

    Silva's film is not a masterpiece, but it open one's eyes in a special way and will surely touch everyone who sees it.
  • gator681
    December 6, 2009
    gator681
    "The Maid" is an incisive character study that is almost bookended by a pair of birthday celebrations, the first one for Raquel(Catalina Saavedra), the maid on occasion of her 41st birthday. While not really similar nor approaching its level of mayhem, I could not but also think... read more of "Murderous Maids" and recalling Sylvie Testud saying that events would not have happened in that movie if her character had not been treated so nicely. And that's also true of the family in "The Maid" as Pilar(Claudia Celedon) and Mundo(Alejandro Goic) have worked to make Raquel an informal part of their family, as she has been employed there twenty years. It is also for this reason that they are looking for a little extra help for Raquel since they feel the house is too large anymore for her take care of by herself, especially in light of her headaches and taking a header down a flight of stairs. Raquel is adamant in refusing help, having already driven one other maid from the house but Pilar overrules her with the hiring of Mercedes(Mercedes Villanueva) from Peru. Raquel is even in a running battle with Camila(Andrea Garcia-Huidobro), the eldest daughter. Raquel's behavior emanates from the job becoming her entire life and she is the type of person who can never retire because she would not know what to do with herself otherwise(Compared to the people who cannot retire because they cannot afford to.) whereas Pilar might have a job and Mundo spends all of his time on model boats and golfing. As a family of luxury, they have a house fitting their status and nearly all of the action is filmed there. Don't get me wrong. It is beautiful but it does become claustrophobic with a hint of sexual frustration in the air and it is a relief when the action is occasionally set elsewhere.
  • Ghw12158
    October 2, 2011
    Ghw12158
    well i wouldn't call her the maid from hell but this lady definately has some serious issues both with the family she works for and others who come (and go
    ) who are brought in to help her as she is getting older.
  • pontxo
    July 26, 2011
    pontxo
    Exceptional movie. Well written without excessive filler dialogue and nor voice over telling the audience what's going on, and in so doing it proves that film is a visual art form and that we should not be told what to expect whilst watching a film.

    The handheld camera give us a... read more glimpse of what it is to take a dive in the deep end along with Raquel.

    One great indie film that should not be overlooked.
  • zutron
    July 11, 2011
    zutron
    For a long time, I thought this was going to be a horror flick, but it was much better than that. It was a serious look at a life of servitude and the possibility of redemption. Engrossing, engaging with all of the primary characters full fledged complex human beings.
  • dukeakasmudge
    February 7, 2011
    dukeakasmudge
    The Maid was alright.The whole time I was watching this, I was just thinking how nice it must be to have a maid just to take care of all your needs.Catalina Saavedra was perfect as Raquel.I loved how she sent all the other maids packing & the whole time I thought she wasn't mean ... read moreat all, She just didn't want her place in the house taken over.Under that tough front she put up there was a soft spot & it took the new maid Lucy to find it
  • sarahpauly
    July 31, 2010
    sarahpauly
    I liked this movie because it really gets into the head of the maid, who is experiencing many complex emotions in her situation as a long-time nanny for this family. The main actress does a pitch-perfect job of conveying the the rage, fear, and longing for love that the maid see... read morems to feel, sometimes all in one facial expression. The movie is also an interesting look at the family that the maid works for and each character has its unique emotional place in the family: the mother seems guilt-ridden and protective, the father is completely checked out, the flirty and demanding adolescent "favorite" brother, the outraged sister, and the little infants who all still seek comfort in the maid as they would in a mother. Another part about the movie that I liked was that it was about a woman looking for love who didn't find it where she was looking for it, but then realized that it is OK.
  • sjeunette
    April 20, 2010
    sjeunette
    After 23 years working as a devoted maid in an upper class Chilean household, embittered and ailing Raquel (Sundance Film Festival and Gotham Award winner Catalina Saavedra) can no longer care for the family alone. Trapped by guilt, matriarch Pilar (Claudia Celedón) refuses to le... read moret Raquel go, even though it is clear their longtime maid is slowly unraveling. Instead, Pilar hires more help, throwing Raquel into a jealous frenzy. The seemingly happy home soon becomes the stage for Raquel's dirty tricks as she attempts to drive away anyone who threatens to take her place with darkly comedic, and in the end, endearing results.
  • kyjeunette
    April 20, 2010
    kyjeunette
    After 23 years working as a devoted maid in an upper class Chilean household, embittered and ailing Raquel (Sundance Film Festival and Gotham Award winner Catalina Saavedra) can no longer care for the family alone. Trapped by guilt, matriarch Pilar (Claudia Celedón) refuses to le... read moret Raquel go, even though it is clear their longtime maid is slowly unraveling. Instead, Pilar hires more help, throwing Raquel into a jealous frenzy. The seemingly happy home soon becomes the stage for Raquel's dirty tricks as she attempts to drive away anyone who threatens to take her place with darkly comedic, and in the end, endearing results.

View All La Nana (The Maid) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Linda Barnard
February 26, 2010
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

As unlikable -- and unstable -- as the character is, Saavedra finds a way for the audience to care about Raquel deeply and even to root for her to come out on top with her childish evil plots. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
January 15, 2010
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes unsettling, and always engrossing, The Maid is a domestic drama about the gulf that exists at impossibly close quarters between the worlds of upstairs and dow... Full Review

Michael Phillips
December 3, 2009
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The Maid is a small film but very sure, and extremely well-acted. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
November 12, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

With a few brushstrokes, Sebastian Silva communicates the complicated social and moral dynamic involved in having a live-in maid. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
November 12, 2009
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Silva expertly maintains the tension, asking the audience to interpret Raquel's bizarro behavior. His diagnosis is a pleasant surprise. Full Review

Ty Burr
November 12, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The tension doesn't just derive from wondering where the story's going to go but to which genre this movie even belongs. Are we in a horror film or a humanist drama? Will Raquel burst into tears or br... Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann
November 12, 2009
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

How discomfiting it is to see a good film from a country that is low on any list of film-producing nations. Full Review

Jan Stuart
November 5, 2009
Jan Stuart, Washington Post

A deserved prizewinner at Sundance, Saavedra seems to age 25 years and then drop 35 in the space of an hour and a half. Full Review

A.O. Scott
November 2, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

A smart little gem from Chile. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
October 23, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

The Maid has that particular gift of leaving you off balance in the best possible way, and whenever something like that comes around you owe it to yourself to check it out. Full Review

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