Genre: Drama
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marin de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Nancy Garcia Garcia, Verónica Garcia, Andy Cortés, Fernando Grediaga, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, José Manuel Guerrero Mendoza, Latin Lover, Zarela Lizbeth Chinolla Arellano, José Luis López, Edwin Mendoza Ramirez, Clementina Guardarrama, Enoc Leaño, Nicolás Peréz Ralor Félix, Kjartan Halvorsen
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE. WEEK 23: A MOVIE THAT WON AN OSCAR
Description: A year in the life of a middle-class families maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Review: Alfonso Cuarón doesn’t make films, he creates cinematographic experiences. The Mexican director is known for his ‘long takes’: a minute-long shot, without any stops, that set the tone of intensity for his films. Just watching and listening isn’t enough, he wants you to be part of the situation. The desperation and fear needs to felt withing every fiber of your body. Just look at that car chase scene in “Children of Men” or when two astronauts drift away in “Gravity”. In “Roma” the ‘spectacle’ comes from everyday situations.
Mexico City is the décor for the film, that hardly has a plot. The focus lies on the maid of a middle-class family, Cleo. Cleaning up dog poo from the patio, preparing meals for the family. And it’s not your standard tale about class differences. We get to see that in an early scene where the family is watching television. When Cleo sits with them, one of the children lovingly puts his arm around her and is sad when she has to leave.
Cuarón lets the images speak for itself. And this seems logical for a filmmaker, but not a lot of directors manage to put this many expression in a single frame, without having to say a word.
“Roma” is a slow-burn, not very fast paced. It’s a film that focuses on details and stays close to reality, with a surreal edge. Technically it’s a masterpiece. A really beautiful film.
Rating: 5 / 5
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