Review: Live-in Maid

“What the hell was that?” exclaimed one of three tourists sitting behind me at a screening of Live-in Maid as the credits began to roll. Seeking an oasis from the outdoor heat, the group had clearly plodded into Mark Cuban’s brand-new Los Angeles art-house not knowing what the movie was about, expecting something rather mainstream. The fact that Live-in Maid is a meditative, introspective look at lives of two older women did not come easy to the three. I, on the other hand, was delighted by the freshness and authenticity of this tale of a financially-pressed Buenos Aires business-woman and the relationship that she has with her maid of thirty-years. This is the kind of movie where nothing much happens, but it doesn’t need to. The lives of the two main characters progress naturally and beautifully, subtly providing insight on both the human condition and the economic situation of Argentina in the late 1990s. The lead performances by Norma Argentina and Norma Aleandro feel real and are wonderfully nuanced. The movie may not ultimately leave much of a lasting impression—the story is enlightening, although not particularly memorable—but it certainly offers open-minded viewers a delicate little experience to immerse themselves in.

-Danny Baldwin, Bucket Reviews

Review Published on: 9.10.2007

Screened on: 9.8.2007 at the Landmark 12 in West Los Angeles, CA.

Live-in Maid is Not Rated and runs 83 minutes.