Las infieles (1953)

Beatriz (Irasema Dilian) goes to work for a rich family as a governess. Her work is to take care of two children. She arrives in the house where she's going to work, in the same day when they are expecting Rafael (Armando Calvo), back home after a long absence - a tragic event had driven him away. He, through his family, is the owner of a fortune.

A party is given in his honor. Many women are present - some of them were important in Rafael's life before he went away. These women are friends of the family, they frequent the house regularly. The house is a nest of vipers. In this house, Rafael meets Beatriz. And.....

But beware, because the vipers will fight with all their poison and malice.

"Las Infieles" is a bit melodramatic, and the characters are shown in a black and white portrait without shades, but curiously they don't lose their humanity (thanks to the actors's emotional involvement), and, in a way, the film feels realistic. The story is good and the conversations (among the vipers) are deliciously bitchy. The acting is intense (as is normally the case with Latin actors) and moving.

To sum it up : "Las Infieles" tells a common enough story, but this story is told with verve (and Irasema Dilián simply shines with her sweet smile and her brightly delicate eyes). Alejandro Galindo has learnt his craft and knows how to make a gripping film. If you enjoy a well-told story and let yourself in, you'll enjoy and feel moved by the film.