Right after Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl, a new psychologically dizzying take on an erotic thriller emerges from one of the autumn festivals. The Toronto International Film Festival, in its Discovery Section, is screening an Argentine thriller Linda which places a sultry, enigmatic maid inside a household where she emotionally shatters the family she serves. The magic shows at the onset as her mystique draws everyone towards her, giving her leverage in every way. Leading Wainstein’s film with her hypnotic but muted acting, which hints with reserve, is Eugenia “China” Suárez” who plays the title role capriciously.
Linda, who is a temporary cousin to Linda, steps in after a maid sustains an injury. Introduced as a Buenos Aires-based nuclear family of four, a father, mother, daughter, and son. From the moment each of them encounters Linda, it is evident from the change in their body language, that they are under a spell. One can only imagine the many heads that must have turned when she entered the room. Being spectacularly beautiful, she is described as ‘too stunning to be a servant’, yet it is her smile that innocently flatters them that seals the deal.
Camilo (Rafael Spregelburd) tries to dazzle Linda with extravagant wine and vintage furniture, coming off as rather humble putting his best foot forward.
The narrator notes that she refuses most of his gifts and retains those without appreciation or acknowledgment. She regards him without feeling even though she understands that he is obsessed with her. With the daughter, Ceferino, the son becomes more dismissive and cold. She disregards his try to seduce her using his lame ideas.
Eldest sibling Matilda (Minerva Casero) has a beau (Agustin Della) who, after a short time, does not measure up to Linda. With her, Linda is more of a seductive giver, gifting her a used bikini and exposing her to a world beyond her walls. The director Suárez together with these three actresses is so captivating that the public has no option but to feel like they are part of these sensual stakes perhaps as anxious voyeurs.
Nonetheless, Linda forms her deepest bond with the matriarch Luisa Julieta Cardinali. Together with Luisa, Linda is different. She is more willing to talk and more candid. She cares about Luisa. To begin with, there is a lot of tension in this relationship. After all, much is made about the maid uniform that Luisa asks her to put on, but Linda never does.
Bit by bit, Luisa melts and begins to view Linda as a fresh escape from the monotonous life she shares with her husband and children three people who should love her but in reality, do not appreciate her sacrifices.
Suárez and Cardinali are electrifying together. The film’s apex of sensuality is within the moments when they capture the immense hunger of their attraction for each other. Their bond borders on primal in how at times Linda sniffs Luisa and at other times, she feeds her. Director Weinstein captures these two actors in the generous medium close-ups that enable each of them to embody the physicality of their desire. But the magnetic performances, alongside the screenplay, suggest much more than physical desire. These are two women trapped by the systemic oppression of society and only in the company of one another do they encounter the sweet relief from and the deep frustration with patriarchy.
In a subsequent scene, the movie shows an imaginary link to the South American myth of Deolinda Correa, famous for her resolve to safeguard a family. Weinstein, also the film’s co-writer, gives that legend a contemporary take. Instead of dying to save the family, Linda and Luisa draw strength from each other. In reality, not too much has changed from the starting point. But the audience gleams how much Linda and Luisa affected each other. “Linda” is the most captivating kind of thriller the kind that demands your undivided attention so that you don’t miss a single change in expression or a cut that reveals something crucial about the narrative.
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