Whilst watching the film dubbed into Spanish when Michael Smiley bumps into Toni Collette and the camera pans away whilst she starts to tell him something about Rossy de Palma, I could perfectly hear from far her telling him "Maria is my servant, she's been working for us for many years". So yes, he did know she was a maid when he went to have tea with Toni Collette and he deliberately ignored her in order for her to 'know her place'. Indeed, the minute he found out who she really was he stopped calling her and totally ignored her messages. It was obvious that he was only interested in her because he thought she was a Spanish princess, so he turned out to be just as shallow and classist as Toni Collette herself was. I'm obviously referring to their characters by the way.
When Maria finally leaves and crosses the bridge, at first she is very sad but then by the time she reaches the end of the bridge you see her smiling, and seems happy and hopeful. Maybe out of comfort and because Toni Collette paid her daughter's studies, Maria stayed a maid for longer than she had planned. Now she has been liberated and all possibilities are open to her. She may return to Spain to be with her daughter, or she may look for another job in Paris, maybe as a cook, or something else altogether. She may also find true love with a good man. I believe it is implied that she would find her own happy ending and that not ending up with Michael Smiley is not a 'sad ending' at all, on the contrary. Perhaps, the 'sad ending' is actually for Michael Smiley, Toni Collette and Havey Keitel, because they have proven to be shallow people who only care about 'appearances', 'sex' and 'money. They will never find true happiness or know what love really is, because they themselves are incapable of it, whereas Rossy de Palma's Maria emanates love and goodnes, and will attract good people towards her. She has a bright future ahead, no matter where she ends up working, because she has a rich inner life, whereas the others have a bleak and empty future ahead, stuck with their empty inner lives, as their looks will fade, their money may disappear at any minute, and their 'power' in their circle would then dwindle. What will be of them then without their mask and pretences? Nothing.
I give the film a 7.5 out of 10 and recommend it. It has it's fun moments and is well acted by all concern, but Rossy de Palma shines and easily makes you see her character's inner beauty.
When Maria finally leaves and crosses the bridge, at first she is very sad but then by the time she reaches the end of the bridge you see her smiling, and seems happy and hopeful. Maybe out of comfort and because Toni Collette paid her daughter's studies, Maria stayed a maid for longer than she had planned. Now she has been liberated and all possibilities are open to her. She may return to Spain to be with her daughter, or she may look for another job in Paris, maybe as a cook, or something else altogether. She may also find true love with a good man. I believe it is implied that she would find her own happy ending and that not ending up with Michael Smiley is not a 'sad ending' at all, on the contrary. Perhaps, the 'sad ending' is actually for Michael Smiley, Toni Collette and Havey Keitel, because they have proven to be shallow people who only care about 'appearances', 'sex' and 'money. They will never find true happiness or know what love really is, because they themselves are incapable of it, whereas Rossy de Palma's Maria emanates love and goodnes, and will attract good people towards her. She has a bright future ahead, no matter where she ends up working, because she has a rich inner life, whereas the others have a bleak and empty future ahead, stuck with their empty inner lives, as their looks will fade, their money may disappear at any minute, and their 'power' in their circle would then dwindle. What will be of them then without their mask and pretences? Nothing.
I give the film a 7.5 out of 10 and recommend it. It has it's fun moments and is well acted by all concern, but Rossy de Palma shines and easily makes you see her character's inner beauty.