Film Review: DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID: A Social Commentary That Packs in Some Big Laughs [NYFF 2026]

Diary of a Chambermaid Review

Diary of a Chambermaid (2026) Film Review from the 64th Annual New York Film Festival, a movie directed by Radu Jude, written by Octave Mirbeau and Radu Jude and starring Ana Dumitrascu, Mélanie Thierry, Vincent Macaigne, Marie Rivière, Ilinca Manolache, Sofia Dragoman, Jürgen Genuit and Amélie Prevot.

Filmmaker Radu Jude’s hilarious and surprisingly moving new film, Diary of a Chambermaid, is a flat-out hilarious comedy that takes a major tonal shift at the end that works magnificently in terms of creating one of the best social commentaries you’ll see at the movies this year.

This film features a superb performance by Ana Dumitrascu as a Romanian maid named Gianina, who is a live-in employee for a rich family and who takes up live theater for everyday (amateur) people in-between her shifts. Every moment of Diary of a Chambermaid is unpredictable. If one scene that is set in September ends abruptly within a few seconds, the next one can last much longer, but you’ll never know when Jude will pull the plug on a particular concept that is employed in this entertaining new gem.

Gianina may not be the most educated woman, but she has a lot of dignity in that she does what she does in order to financially support her young daughter (Sofia Dragoman), who we see through constant contact via Gianina’s cell phone.

There is one scene in this picture that makes it definitively great. In it, Gianina tells a story of a child who wants to be ageless and live forever. She tells the tale to the kid she watches for the wealthy family that employs her. It’s absolutely unforgettable the way Gianina tells the story and creates it from things she knows well in her life. And where it all leads is, at once, exhilarating and sad. Of course, the kid takes the story the wrong way, and his parents suggest that Gianina tell happier stories to their child going forward.

Politics come into play as the film sets itself in France and Gianina is Romanian. Gianina doesn’t seem to have a lot to say about politics, but her employer does and this spin on the political climate that is discussed in detail is very intriguing and done in an energetic style that will keep audiences enthralled, regardless of their own viewpoints on particular matters.

Those theater scenes where our lead is positioned right, opposite a man on the left side of the screen, are a hoot. From one sequence to the next, we’re never quite sure how long Jude will go with a given skit and how far he’ll push the material and the unpredictable nature of the sequence flow is wonderful to behold as it keeps the audience wishing some scenes would go on much longer and that, perhaps, a scene or two will end faster.

There are heart-wrenching moments towards the end, which pull the plug from the original tone of the movie, but with good reason. Gianina is constantly trying to earn money, and there will eventually be consequences to that quest for a steady cash flow. This film parallels the lives of the poor Gianina and the rich people she works for, who can pretty much pay for any flight at any given time, regardless of price, but sadly, can’t send Gianina home to see her daughter for Christmas due to their obligations.

This film has a solid supporting cast. Mélanie Thierry, Marie Rivière and, especially, Sofia Dragoman (who is only seen on a cell phone and gets the attitude of the daughter right on the nose) shine. Vincent Macaigne is also commendable is a memorable series of moments within the picture. This movie takes a different route in the plot than one would expect when one of the employer’s family members becomes injured and needs Gianina to be with her while the heads of the household go away for a bit.

It’s easy to love the funny anecdotes that flow from one scene to another, and the performance by Ana Dumitrascu is always on point as the viewer can usually find a way to relate to her. This character pockets some cash she finds in the house at one point, but she is a really wise woman underneath her naivete in terms of the somewhat simplistic way she sees the world.

It’s a great lead performance at the movie’s center that could have been a throw-away in a movie that didn’t hit hard at the end. This film really works in the final reveals as we see that some relationships don’t have to exist from such a long distance, if the people involved thought just a tad bit harder about the situation at hand.

Diary of a Chambermaid is hilarious and ultimately, quite touching. It marks the progress of a decidedly talented filmmaker, who isn’t afraid to take the biggest of risks with a lead character who we may end up appreciating whichever way the flipped coin lands. Those are the best types of movies. You’ll have a great time watching Ana Dumitrascu’s Gianina go through her paces during a very memorable fall season and the beginning of a winter that could change her life forever.

Rating: 8.5/10

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