Cama Adentro
Encyclopedia
Cama adentro (2005
) is an Argentine
and Spanish drama film
, written and directed by Jorge Gaggero
. In Spain it is also known as Señora Beba. It was executive produced by Aqua Films
' Verónica Cura
. The picture features Norma Aleandro
, Norma Argentina
, among others.
The drama is set in Buenos Aires
during the early 2000s economic crisis. It tells of the relationship between Beba, a spoiled, temperamental member of the Argentina upper middle class (Norma Aleandro
), and her longtime maid, Dora (Norma Argentina
). Both are in their 50's.
Dora came to Buenos Aires during her teenage years from the Chaco Province
to work as a full-time maid at Beba's apartment. Since then she has slowly worked to build a house in one of the towns outside Buenos Aires.
Dora, however, is unable to complete the construction of her house because Beba owes her six months pay. Dora, tired of listening to Beba's promises of payment, is now determined to resign. Beba asks her for more time to get the money together and Dora accepts. During this period Beba tries to use the confidence of Dora and discourages her from venturing into a new phase of her life.
Finally, Dora leaves the apartment to live with Miguel, her boyfriend, at her new home. Meanwhile, at Beba's apartment, the power and telephone services are cut due to lack of payment.
When summer arrives Beba is forced to rent out her apartment in order to pay her debts. She goes in a moving truck to Dora's house, with the intention of giving her all of her furniture. Unexpectedly, Dora invites her to stay in her house and live together again.
The film depicts the transformation of an Argentine society through the lives of two very different women.
, Spain on September 21, 2004. It opened in Argentina on May 26, 2005.
The film was screened at various film festivals, including: the Sundance Film Festival
, United States; the Tromsø International Film Festival
, Norway; the Toulouse Latin America Film Festival, France; and others.
, liked the film and wrote, the film "is modest in scope but large in spirit and ambition, and very nearly perfect in execution." Scott later named it the 6th best film of 2007 (tying with 12:08 East of Bucharest
).
Deborah Young, film critic at Variety
magazine, liked the film and wrote, "A live-in maid leaves the pretentious employer who can no longer pay her in Jorge Gaggero's well-written first feature, Live-In Maid. Taking a different approach to describe the effects of Argentina's down-sliding economy, pic's a fairly successful attempt at satire, though given the subject, there's a lot of darkness under the carpet...Pic's real treat is non-pro actress Argentina's beautiful portrait of Dora, who stoically bears years of humiliation from Beba but is unable to rejoice once the tables are turned."
The Hollywood Reporter
's film critic James Greenberg, wrote of the film, "The small, well-acted chamber drama is a genre that has virtually disappeared from American screens, which is too bad when you see one as accomplished as Live-in Maid. Powered by two first-rate performances, Jorge Gaggero's debut feature is full of psychological nuance and keen social observation. It's an impressive feat and one that should find an audience in art houses worldwide."
Critic Eric Snider like the acting in the film, and wrote, "Where it excels is in its casting: Norma Aleandro and Norma Argentina are absolutely perfect, both separately and as a team. Aleandro, an Argentine film veteran, has the look of a woman who wants to be imperious but can no longer afford it, the face of someone trying to keep her dignity. Beba treats Dora poorly, but only because she is too proud to admit she loves her like a sister."
The film received favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 100% of critics gave the film a "Fresh" rating, based on 31 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 78 out of 100, based on 14 reviews.
Nominations
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Spanish drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
, written and directed by Jorge Gaggero
Jorge Gaggero
Jorge Gaggero is an Argentinian film director, and screenwriter.He works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* Sólo cuando respiro * Ojos de fuego * Un Pedazo de tierra aka A Piece of Earth...
. In Spain it is also known as Señora Beba. It was executive produced by Aqua Films
Aqua Films
Aqua Films is an Argentine film production company that provides administrative services to local and foreign productions.The company arranges and organizes pre-productions, film shoots and post-production work, including:...
' Verónica Cura
Verónica Cura
Verónica Cura is a film producer, production manager, and production designer.She works in the cinema of Argentina.Cura has worked with Enrique Piñeyro at Aqua Films, a film production company in Argentina....
. The picture features Norma Aleandro
Norma Aleandro
Norma Aleandro Robledo is an Argentine actress and screenwriter, born in Buenos Aires to Pedro Aleandro and María Luisa Robledo, both actors. Her sister, María Vaner, was a famous actress in Argentina.- Life and career :...
, Norma Argentina
Norma Argentina
Norma Argentina is a film actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* Cama Adentro aka Live-In Maid* El Buen destino * Tupac, el grito...
, among others.
The drama is set in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
during the early 2000s economic crisis. It tells of the relationship between Beba, a spoiled, temperamental member of the Argentina upper middle class (Norma Aleandro
Norma Aleandro
Norma Aleandro Robledo is an Argentine actress and screenwriter, born in Buenos Aires to Pedro Aleandro and María Luisa Robledo, both actors. Her sister, María Vaner, was a famous actress in Argentina.- Life and career :...
), and her longtime maid, Dora (Norma Argentina
Norma Argentina
Norma Argentina is a film actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* Cama Adentro aka Live-In Maid* El Buen destino * Tupac, el grito...
). Both are in their 50's.
Plot
Beba used to be a well-to-do socialite but Argentina's economic crisis has left here with almost nothing. She is then forced to sell beauty products door-to-door.Dora came to Buenos Aires during her teenage years from the Chaco Province
Chaco Province
Chaco is an Argentine province located in the north of the country, near the border with Paraguay. Its capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River opposite the city of Corrientes...
to work as a full-time maid at Beba's apartment. Since then she has slowly worked to build a house in one of the towns outside Buenos Aires.
Finally, Dora leaves the apartment to live with Miguel, her boyfriend, at her new home. Meanwhile, at Beba's apartment, the power and telephone services are cut due to lack of payment.
When summer arrives Beba is forced to rent out her apartment in order to pay her debts. She goes in a moving truck to Dora's house, with the intention of giving her all of her furniture. Unexpectedly, Dora invites her to stay in her house and live together again.
The film depicts the transformation of an Argentine society through the lives of two very different women.
Cast
- Norma AleandroNorma AleandroNorma Aleandro Robledo is an Argentine actress and screenwriter, born in Buenos Aires to Pedro Aleandro and María Luisa Robledo, both actors. Her sister, María Vaner, was a famous actress in Argentina.- Life and career :...
as Beba Pujol - Norma ArgentinaNorma ArgentinaNorma Argentina is a film actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* Cama Adentro aka Live-In Maid* El Buen destino * Tupac, el grito...
as Dora - Marcos MundstockMarcos MundstockMarcos Mundstock, born May 25, 1942, in Santa Fe, Argentina, is a musician, writer, comedian and former broadcaster and copywriter, most famous for being a founding member of Les Luthiers, their emcee, and writing many of their libretti and lyrics...
as Víctor - Raúl Panguinao as Miguel
- Elsa Berenguer as Sara
- Susana Lanteri as Memé
- Claudia Lapacó as Perla
- Mónica Gonzaga as Irma
- Eduardo Rodríguez as Luisito
- Arturo GoetzArturo GoetzArturo Goetz , is an Argentine film actor.He works in the cinema of Argentina.He studied for a D.Phil. in Economics at Jesus College, Oxford from 1971 to 1974, but left without completing his studies when his scholarship ran out. Whilst at Jesus College, he played football for the college team and...
as Invitado en el Country
Distribution
The film was first presented at the San Sebastián International Film FestivalSan Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
, Spain on September 21, 2004. It opened in Argentina on May 26, 2005.
The film was screened at various film festivals, including: the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, United States; the Tromsø International Film Festival
Tromsø International Film Festival
The Tromsø International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Tromsø, Norway.The inaugural Tromsø International Film Festival was held in 1991, and today TIFF is the largest film festival in Norway as considered by attendance figures; in 2010 there were 58 267 admissions. In 2006 TIFF...
, Norway; the Toulouse Latin America Film Festival, France; and others.
Critical reception
Film critic A.O. Scott, who writes for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, liked the film and wrote, the film "is modest in scope but large in spirit and ambition, and very nearly perfect in execution." Scott later named it the 6th best film of 2007 (tying with 12:08 East of Bucharest
12:08 East of Bucharest
12:08 East of Bucharest is a 2006 Romanian film directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, released in 2006 and winner of the Camera d'Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also released in the United States under the abridged titles East of Bucharest and 12:08 Bucharest...
).
Deborah Young, film critic at Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine, liked the film and wrote, "A live-in maid leaves the pretentious employer who can no longer pay her in Jorge Gaggero's well-written first feature, Live-In Maid. Taking a different approach to describe the effects of Argentina's down-sliding economy, pic's a fairly successful attempt at satire, though given the subject, there's a lot of darkness under the carpet...Pic's real treat is non-pro actress Argentina's beautiful portrait of Dora, who stoically bears years of humiliation from Beba but is unable to rejoice once the tables are turned."
The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
's film critic James Greenberg, wrote of the film, "The small, well-acted chamber drama is a genre that has virtually disappeared from American screens, which is too bad when you see one as accomplished as Live-in Maid. Powered by two first-rate performances, Jorge Gaggero's debut feature is full of psychological nuance and keen social observation. It's an impressive feat and one that should find an audience in art houses worldwide."
Critic Eric Snider like the acting in the film, and wrote, "Where it excels is in its casting: Norma Aleandro and Norma Argentina are absolutely perfect, both separately and as a team. Aleandro, an Argentine film veteran, has the look of a woman who wants to be imperious but can no longer afford it, the face of someone trying to keep her dignity. Beba treats Dora poorly, but only because she is too proud to admit she loves her like a sister."
The film received favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 100% of critics gave the film a "Fresh" rating, based on 31 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 78 out of 100, based on 14 reviews.
Awards
Wins- Brussels Film Festival: Norma Aleandro, Best Latin American actress; 2004.
- Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
: Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Dramatic Competition; 2005. - Toulouse Film Festival: FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Award; Best First Feature Film; 2005. - Trømso International Film Festival: Special Mention of the Jury; 2005.
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor Best First Film, Jorge Gaggero; Best New Actress, Norma Argentina; 2006.
- Premios ACE: Premio ACE Cinema; Best Character Actress Norma Aleandro; Cinema, Best First Work, Jorge Gaggero; 2006.
Nominations
- Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema - Dramatic, Jorge Gaggero; 2005.
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Actress, Norma Aleandro; Best Art Direction, Marcela Bazzano; Best Director, Jorge Gaggero; Best Editing, Guillermo Represa; Best Original Screenplay, Jorge Gaggero; 2006.
External links
.- Cama adentro at cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...
- Cama adentro film review at La Nación by Fernando López
- Cama adentro film review at ClarinClarín (newspaper)Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
- Cama adentro film clip at You Tube