Chance (2009)

This hilarious comedy tells the story of Toña and Paquita, the housekeepers for the aristocratic González-Dubois family. These domestic employees have been mistreated for quite some time ... See full summary »

Director:

Abner Benaim

Writers:

Abner Benaim, Lino Georg von Saenger

Stars:

Francisco Gattorno, Isabella Santodomingo, Aida Morales

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Francisco Gattorno	...	Fernando
Isabella Santodomingo	...	Gloria
Aida Morales	...	Paquita
Rosa Isabel Lorenzo	...	Toña
Maria Alejandra Palacios	...	Marivi
Maria Cristina Palacios	...	Marite
Juan David Valdez Lauri	...	Daniel
Yiniva Cardenas	...	Secretaria
Juanxo Villaverde	...	Marivi's boyfriend
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diego De Obaldía	...	Novio de Marite
Roberto Durán	...	Jugador de Domino
Luis Antonio Gotti	...	Cirujano Plastico (as Lucho Gotti)
Malcolm Ramos	...	Locutor Loteria
Rolando Sterling	...	Asesor Fernando

Storyline

This hilarious comedy tells the story of Toña and Paquita, the housekeepers for the aristocratic González-Dubois family. These domestic employees have been mistreated for quite some time and they are tired of their situation. So when the family plans a shopping trip to Miami, the maids have a plan of their own; to take control of the mansion. Unexpectedly, they will also discover a family secret.

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Plot Keywords:

bound and gagged | cleave gag | tape over mouth | one word title | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Quotes

Gloria: Toña, no! Not my Swarovski! That's a wedding present! Toña!
Toña: I never got these little eggs.
Gloria: My Fabergé!
Toña: [Breaks Fabergé egg] You see we're not joking.

User Reviews

Light-hearted Dark Comedy

For me, this beguiling Panamanian comedy proved to be the crown jewel of a week of screenings at the Nashville film Festival. Abner Benaim, in his first commercial feature, has produced a no-holds-barred farce that is delightfully specific in its evocation of place and universally familiar in its socio-political relevance. He masterfully pushes our tolerance of what is comically acceptable with alternate uses for metal meat tenderizers and loaded weapons in the hands of children. The uncomfortable hilarity of these concrete moments is a justifiable exposition of the dark consequences of social inequity, venality and greed -- evils that know no national borders or half-life. Along with this universality of theme, the film's sophisticated production values, achieved on a budget that in Hollywood would barely cover craft services, could certainly allow this off-shore sub-titled project to succeed financially in northern hemisphere markets. Much of the film's quality must be credited to its fine cast. Aida Morales, with noble poignancy, and Rosa Isabel Lorenzo, apparently in her sole cinematic role, give brazen, perfectly tuned performances as the long-suffering servants in a corrupt politician's household. These besieged characters grab the horns of their dilemma and do not let go until success is achieved. And in very satisfying style, their menacingly wild choice manages to churn up providential outcomes for everyone. I hope this delicious morality tale gets the distributor it so greatly deserves.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official Facebook

Country:

Panama Colombia

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

15 January 2010 (Panama)

Also Known As:

Hatalomátvétel

Filming Locations:

Panama City, Panama

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$27,857

Company Credits

Production Co:

Apertura Films, Rio Negro

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1