THE GILDED CAGE

France, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Rita Blanco, Joaquim de Almeida.
Directed by Ruben Alves.


This is one of those French comedies which are light on the surface but have something to say underneath. Perhaps it should be stressed that this is a combination of French and Portuguese comedy, the central characters, husband and wife, who migrated from Portugal 30 years earlier and have worked in Paris ever since, bringing up their children as Brazilians and French. The director is Portuguese and is visualising his memories and experiences.

The Gilded Cage has proven itself a box-office winner in Europe, where audiences will identify with the situations in these two diverse countries of the European Union. It travels beyond Europe quite nicely but, probably, without the strong impact that it had there.

The focus is on a middle-aged couple, very well played by Rita Blanco and Joaquin de Almeida. We see the wife jauntily walking along a street, greeting everyone, and then we find that she is the concierge in an apartment block, at the beck and call of an elderly woman whose life is governed by whims, by a Chinese resident, by a couple with twins. She loves work and does not feel imposed on though that is what has happened to her for 30 years. Her husband works for a building construction company and he, in his turn, has been imposed on by the CEO of the company. They have two children, young adults.

Then something happens which transforms their lives, offering them the freedom that they have never experienced, and the possibility of returning to Portugal. The wife’s sister, wanting to set up a Portuguese restaurant in Paris, certainly does not want her sister to go back home and fabricates a story about her very ill husband who needs all kinds of help. And the residents of the apartments certainly do not want her to go, thinking that they could not manage without her. It is the same with the boss of the company, devising ways of making it impossible for his worker to leave him.

Then there is the complication of the son not wanting to leave Paris, and pretending to friends that he is well-to-do, ashamed of his parents, as well as the daughter being in love with the son of the construction boss.

Comedy is to the fore as the couple toy with the idea of being wealthy and trying to keep up with their more affluent friends, especially a meal with all its disruptions, something that the French do so well. Needless to say, there are plenty of crises, especially with the younger generation and the couple’s friends. The daughter’s crisis is beautifully resolved when she goes with her fiancé to a Portuguese restaurant and listen to a singer with a beautiful ballad about Portugal.

Where there’s a will there’s a way – and the trouble started with a will. However, where there’s goodwill there is also a good way and that is how it all ends up, cheerfully and everyone together.


1. The popularity of the film in Europe, European sensibilities? Sensibilities beyond Europe for this European story?

2. The director, his Portuguese background, living in France, family experience, communicating his perspective?

3. Paris, the apartments, streets, the building sites, the restaurants? The contrast with Portugal, the vistas, the river, the property? Everybody in Portugal at the end? The musical score, the song in the restaurant and its emotion?

4. The introduction to the mother, walking along the street, everybody greeting her, discovering that she was the concierge? The haughty woman and her demands? Her mother’s dress? The Chinese man and his machines? The family with the twins and getting them ready for school? Cleaning, cooking, yet her loving her work? Being imposed on for 30 years?

5. Her own home, a loving relationship with her husband, his going to the building site, working with the men, the boss and the discussions, his loving his work? It being imposed on?

6. The daughter, a relationship with her parents, a relationship with the sum of the boss? Keeping it secret? Their meetings, discussions, sexual relationship, her pregnancy, telling him, his happy response? Her brother and he is staying at home? Relationship with his parents, ashamed of them?

7. The will, the reading, the reactions, the property, the company, being rich? The brother dying and the silence the 30 years? The requirements of the will, the demands, the deadlines?

8. Rosa, the wife’s sister, that visiting, chatting? Rosa and her work at the boss’s family home? Relationship with the members of the family? The sister, loud, imposing, wanting the money for a restaurant, her husband being idle, her lying about her husband’s health?

9. The company boss, his wife, son, losing money, the issue of contracts and deals, his needing for his work to stay? The offer of a raise?

10. The apartment block, the residents and their forming the board, their judgements on their concierge, the meetings, thinking that she must go? Yet their relying completely on her?

11. The couple going to the hotel, the comfort, their being uncomfortable, coming home? The husband testing out the expensive car? And whether it could take a trailer?

12. The daughter, her relationship, her pregnancy, her joy? The announcement of the engagement? The son, holding the party what his parents away, it getting out of hand, ashamed of his mother with the girl, the girl meeting his father and misinterpreting him as an art painter? The father’s response and his son’s embarrassment?

13. The dinner, the special preparation of the meal, the veal, when the guests were expecting cod? The couple dressing up, the others casual? The toasting the engagement? The sister, her tantrum, the truth? The shock of the parents about their daughter? The resident and her wanting the husband to come and fix things during the meal? The boss’s wife, drinking, carrying on and sending her away?

14. The couple and their agreeing to tell the truth, their bluntness to the residents, to the boss? Their talking with each other, whether they wanted to go to Portugal not, the mother missing her children and grandchildren?

15. Charles, morose, the shower, Rosa telling him where his fiancee was? His going to the apartment, his anger, finding the kind couple who were sheltering his fiancee? Talk, going to the restaurant, the mood of the Portuguese song? His learning Portuguese?

16. The scenes in Portugal, the beautiful countryside, everybody arriving, the pregnant daughter, the guests, the meal and everybody happy?