Portrait of futility runs out of steam
There’s a scene about threequarters into “The Chambermaid” where Eve, a maid at a highend Mexico City hotel, strips naked for the viewing pleasure of a window washer perched outside.
It’s a peep show born out of sadness, a desperate plea to be recognized — by anyone — as a person.
Eve’s daytoday drudgery is the subject of director Lila Avilés’ debut feature, which is adapted from her play, and unfortunately becomes a bit laborious itself. Shot almost entirely within a hotel, the film operates as a lowbudget answer to “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón’s muchlauded film that also centers on the life of a domestic worker.
“The Chambermaid” won a Mexican Oscar for best first film and the Golden Gate New Directors Award at the 2019 SFFilm Festival. It opens exclusively at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on Friday, July 5.
Eve (Gabriela Cartol) cleans the 21st floor, but the dream of all the maids is to get the 42nd floor, the most luxurious of
the hotel. She is a single mother, checking in with her friend who watches the baby when she is at work. She has her sights set on a beautiful red dress that has been left behind by a hotel guest; if it is not claimed, it is hers.
She also enrolls in a class set up by her union that will help her get her high school equivalency and becomes friends with a classmate and coworker (Teresa Sánchez).
But mostly Eve cleans. And cleans. And cleans. One VIP guest on her floor is constantly demanding amenities. Another guest, from Argentina, asks for her help to care for her infant child, leading to a job offer that strangely she doesn’t take seriously.
Alone in rooms, she will look through a guest’s things, combing for clues of how the other half lives.
“The Chambermaid,” however, runs out of steam when Eve’s possibilities as a character seem exhausted. She is inert, rarely speaking unless spoken to, and is a bit of a cipher Cartol can’t quite solve. It’s as if Avilés doesn’t quite know what to do with her creation.
The film has empathy, though, and that’s a very good thing. I think I tip pretty well for maid service at hotels, but now I’m thinking I should step it up some. They deserve it.