Linda

Like an outer element disrupting balance, Linda (Eugenia Suárez) enters the life of an upper-class family where she is replacing her cousin as a housemaid.

At first sight, a symmetry can be traced between Linda and Teorema by Pier Paolo Pasolini, in which a young Terence Stamp seduces the members of a family. But, where Pasolini's film had religious undertones and different possible readings, the directorial debut from Mariana Wainstein is less ambitious.

The film plays with eroticism and illustrates how powerful sensuality can be. From gazes, contact, and double entendres, the movie favors showing without telling, enhancing its narrative and its search for what is perceived as forbidden. Desire has always been an interesting theme to examine, and sexual desire constitutes one of the strongest reasons for tension. If it involves not one but multiple subjects, its amplified nature should be stronger, a fertile soil for imbalances that might suffocate its hosts.

Linda is perceived by the members of the family as attractive, someone who does not seem a maid. Camilo (Rafael Spregelburd), the father of the family, is the first one to notice her appearance as someone who cannot be ignored; Luisa (Julieta Cardinali), the mother, becomes equally captivated; Ceferino (Felipe Gonzalez Otaño), the son, sees her as an opportunity to make his fantasies a reality; and Matilda (Minerva Casero), the daughter, finds in her the reason for the awakening of a dormant part inside her.

Naturally, Linda's coming could be equated to the "cosmic imbalance" Slavoj Zizek talks about when defining love. The disruption of the balance by something that previously was not there is the desire as a blooming force that compels. Clearly, the intrafamilial dynamics are affected, and this provides the story a need to recontextualize situations that were understood to be static depictions of normalcy, for it should come as no surprise that marriage is nothing but a façade and the loss of desire is the price paid for security. In this sense, Linda is nothing but a savior whose coming signifies the awakening of those that lay dormant.

And while its characters might lack profundity, especially male characters who are stereotypes and not much more, Mariana Wainstein's feature offers an interesting examination of sexuality not limited to one gender. Its bold portrayal of pleasure, while not revelatory nor shocking as in Walerian Borowczyk's, still carries within it a force of transgression. One where, like its narrative, subtlety is favored over explicitness. The lascivious gaze is the monopoly of no one, and the protagonist evokes feelings that know no boundaries.

I honestly don't know where to start with Linda, because it feels like a missed opportunity on almost every level. It's a film that had potential but somehow managed to squander all of it with weak writing, poor direction, and, worst of all, some of the most awkward and wooden acting I've seen in a while.

Let's talk about China Suárez. She delivers her lines with the enthusiasm of someone reading a grocery list. There's no emotion, depth, or real connection to the character she's playing. It's baffling to watch. Her performance is so stiff and lifeless that I couldn't care less about her journey. There's supposed to be this intense inner turmoil and transformation happening, but China Suárez just isn't selling it. She looks uncomfortable in every scene as if she doesn't even believe in the story herself. It's almost painful to watch her try to convey emotion when everything about her acting feels so forced and unconvincing.

The film itself doesn't help much. The plot is underdeveloped and predictable, with many awkward pacing issues that drag on without purpose. There's no real character growth, and Linda seems stuck in a loop of bland melodrama. The dialogue feels forced, and Suárez's lack of chemistry with the supporting cast only adds to the feeling that nobody cares about what's happening on screen.

On top of her flat performance, the direction is just uninspired. The cinematography does nothing to elevate the story, and the whole film feels like it's stuck in a limbo of mediocrity. There are moments where the film tries to hit emotional beats, but with China Suárez struggling to give any nuance to her character, the scenes come off as hollow and unearned.

I don't know what went wrong here. Maybe it's the script, maybe it's the direction, but China Suárez's performance is so lackluster that it drags the entire film down. If you're looking for a movie with heart, depth, or any semblance of good acting, Linda is not it.

Save your time and skip this one. It's one of those films you forget about as soon as it's over.

Let's talk about China Suárez. I'm a fan of her work in other projects, but Linda is a complete disaster for her career. She delivers her lines with the enthusiasm of someone reading a grocery list. There's no emotion, no depth, no real connection to the character she's playing. It's baffling to watch. Her performance is so stiff and lifeless that I couldn't care less about her journey. There's supposed to be this intense inner turmoil and transformation happening, but China Suárez just isn't selling it. She looks uncomfortable in every scene, as if she doesn't even believe in the story herself. It's almost painful to watch her try to convey emotion when everything about her acting feels so forced and unconvincing.

The film itself doesn't help much. The plot is underdeveloped and predictable, with a ton of awkward pacing issues that drag on without purpose. There's no real character growth, and Linda seems stuck in a loop of bland melodrama. The dialogue feels forced, and Suárez's lack of chemistry with the supporting cast only adds to the feeling that nobody cares about what's happening on screen.

On top of her flat performance, the direction is just uninspired. The cinematography does nothing to elevate the story, and the whole film feels like it's stuck in a limbo of mediocrity. There are moments where the film tries to hit emotional beats, but with China Suárez struggling to give any nuance to her character, the scenes come off as hollow and unearned.

I don't know what went wrong here. Maybe it's the script, maybe it's the direction, but China Suárez's performance is so lackluster that it drags the entire film down. She's capable of much better, and this role doesn't show her at her best - far from it. If you're looking for a movie with heart, depth, or any semblance of good acting, Linda is not it.

Save your time and skip this one. It's one of those films you forget about as soon as it's over.