15/11/2023 - Miguel Faus’ debut feature, another satirical film about the ultrarich’s detachment from reality, is entertaining even if not a stand-out

Miguel Faus’ debut, titled The Quiet Maid [+see also:
trailer
interview: Miguel Faus
film profile], tells us again that rich people are horrible, and rightly so. The feature, which had its world premiere in the First Feature Competition of this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, is entirely set within an opulent countryside mansion in sunny Costa Brava. 

Ana (Paula Grimaldo), a Colombian girl in her twenties, takes up a servant job in this luxury villa owned by a wealthy art collector named Pedro (Luis Bermejo) and his wife Andrea (Ariadna Gil). Predictably, Ana is treated by everyone more or less like a piece of furniture. Trying to accommodate each of her employers’ needs and requests, she soon realises that there are no prospects, and begins to feel trapped in her job. The puffs of smoke secretly shared with the neighbouring house’s servant Gisela (Nany Tovar) can barely cheer her up.

However, this film is not just about a servant’s feeling of hopelessness. On a dating app, Ana decides to show herself as the owner of the mansion she works in. Her decision to break the house rules and finally enjoy a taste of her employers’ status and wealth occurs perhaps a little late in the film, at which point viewers may have lost interest. But when it happens, the narrative gets much more compelling and engrossing. 

All in all, The Quiet Maid is a rather conventional tale about our society, yet this isn’t necessarily a negative aspect since the task here is adequately accomplished. The protagonist (perhaps the most developed character along with Jacobo, Pedro’s spoiled son portrayed by Pol Hermoso) nd the crypto-related sub-plot certainly bring a touch of originality and timeliness. The narrative resolution takes a clear direction, but it’s probably not as explosive as one would expect.

Technically speaking, the cinematography by Antonio Galisteo focuses on a bright, clean colour palette (an obvious yet effective choice to depict this lavish environment) and a simple but realistic production design, courtesy of Ana Garcia Rico. 

The cast’s performances are decent, and Grimaldo in particular manages to transform herself credibly from a humble, low-profile presence into a stronger girl, who may still be a bit naïve but has gained enough confidence to embark on her small personal battle.

We can safely say that Faus shows solid directing skills, but the picture would have benefited from sharper, more sardonic writing. After all, annoying influencers (such as Jacobo’s sister Claudia, played by Violeta Rodríguez), crypto gurus and rich people concerned they won’t hit the million mark with their monthly paycheck are rather easy targets, and in 2023, the comparison with other similar films — Triangle of Sadness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile] above all — is quite unavoidable. Curiously, this is the first European feature to be funded through the sale of NTFs, which is quite an interesting fact considering the role cryptocurrencies play within the plot.

The Quiet Maid is produced by Calladita Films (Spain), Potenza Producciones (Spain) and Decentralized Pictures (USA). Its international sales have been entrusted to Argentina’s FilmSharks.