Chance (2009)
★★★ — Chance (2009)
Panama is not a country with a long or well-documented history of feature film production, which makes Chance (2009) something of a curiosity in its own right. The country's film industry has historically operated on a shoestring, with most local productions struggling to find either funding or distribution beyond their home territory. Chance was produced jointly between Panama and Mexico, through Rio Negro and Apertura Films, a co-production arrangement that reflects how smaller national cinemas in Latin America often need to pool resources to get anything made at all. That context is worth keeping in mind: this is a film working within real constraints, aiming at a domestic audience rather than the international festival circuit.
The film was directed by Abner Benaim, who has been one of the more prominent figures in Panamanian cinema. The premise is a fairly straightforward comic inversion: two housekeepers, long put-upon by the wealthy González-Dubois family they serve, seize an opportunity while their employers are away and decide to turn the tables. It is the sort of class-friction comedy that travels well as a concept, even if its execution is always going to depend on the specific chemistry and timing of whoever is in front of the camera. The principal cast includes Francisco Gattorno, Rosa Isabel Lorenzo, Aída Morales, and Maria Alejandra Palacios alongside Maria Cristina Palacios. For audiences outside Latin America, these are not household names, but within the region several of them carry genuine television and film pedigree, and that familiarity with the rhythms of popular comedy is something you can either have or you cannot fake. The film runs at a trim 91 minutes, which at least suggests a willingness not to overstay its welcome. If you have been following along with other films from this era and this part of the world on the blog, you may recall that we looked at Nom Tèw, another 2009 film that similarly worked within the constraints of a smaller national cinema, and Lost Boy in Juba, another comedy from outside the English-language mainstream that leans on local flavour to make its jokes land. The comparison is instructive, because films like Chance live or die on whether that local flavour translates, or at least charms, when you are watching from the outside. Whether it manages that here is, naturally, what the review below is about.
A-Z World Movie Tour Panama Chance, the 2021 Panamanian comedy, is a lightweight but occasionally charming romp that leans heavily on its lead’s charisma and a handful of genuinely funny moments. It follows a two maids who are fed up of being mistreated and underpaid (and even not paid at all) by a seemingly rich Panamanian family. When they've decided enough is enough they hold the family hostage and attempt to extort them for money. The premise isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s executed with enough energy and local flavour to keep things moving. The humour lands in fits and starts, some jokes are broad, even predictable, but others are rooted in social quirks in a way that feels authentic and refreshing. The banter between the two leads has a natural, lived-in rhythm, and there are a few revelations that deliver solid shocks laughs. It’s clear the filmmakers understand comedy as rhythm and timing, not just punchlines. It’s not a film that aims high (no deep themes, no narrative surprises) and it shows. The plot meanders, the stakes never feel truly urgent, and the third act collapses into familiar, safe resolutions. But as a piece of homegrown entertainment, it has charm. It’s not going to change Latin American cinema, but it’s a watchable, modestly funny comedy. Worth a watch if you’re in the mood for something easygoing. Just don’t expect brilliance, just a few laughs. If this was made in America you know it'd star Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.
That Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler line is the one that kept rattling around in my head after the credits rolled, because it captures something precise: there is a perfectly serviceable Hollywood version of this film sitting just out of frame, polished but unremarkable, and the fact that Chance is not that film is both its limitation and, in a small way, its saving grace. The rougher edges are where the personality lives. I would not put it anywhere near my favourites from this corner of the world cinema map, and the third act really does let the air out, but for what it is, a modest, good-natured comedy made on limited means for a local audience, it earns its 91 minutes. Sometimes that is enough.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2009 | Watched: 2025-08-10
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Chance (2009) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
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