Review 501: Roma

Roma is a beautifully, touchingly poignant drama film, a wonderful period film and another example of Alfonso Cuaron's craftsmanship as a director.

In Colonia Roma, New Mexico in 1971, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) works as a live-in housekeeper for a middle-class family with four children. Treated at times as a beloved member of the family and at other times as an outsider, Cleo loves the children, but, at the same time, has to deal with her employer Sofia's (Marina de Tavira) frustrations, as she deals with a husband who's a philanderer, who eventually leaves her.
Meanwhile, there is student unrest in the city, making the streets somewhat dangerous to navigate and  an impending earthquake.

With this film, Alfonso Cuaron makes the film and tells the story that's easily the closest to his heart. This is clearly a very personal project for him and because he treats the films with such emotional resonance and sensitivity, he's able to expertly convey the film
Outwardly, Roma is a film about a family, a city and a country, but at its core, Cuaron has described the film as about Humanity. A tapestry of everything surrounding that time period and place and the way those external forces guide us for better or worse.
Cuaron understands that our individual experiences are elements that we cannot control but our relationships of affection those are the ones that we can control. That there is a randomness in those relationships and he's probably right.

Cuaron's direction is just as remarkable as it is sensitive. In making this film, he uses very simple filmmaking techniques.
The way he shoots this film is just unparalleled and almost documentary-like in style. None of the people's actions feel staged or rehearsed in any way, it just feels completely natural and adds to the films realism. Also helping to enhance the films realism is how in casting the film, Cuaron uses virtually unknowns to play the parts and the end result is that it feels completely natural and realistic and comes across as completely convincing.

Apart from directing the film, Cuaron also serves as his own DP (cinematographer) and every shot is laced with his love and nostalgia for Colonia Roma. By shooting with a wide lens and placing the camera further back, he puts everything in focus, giving everything significance.

The production design (recreating New Mexico in the early 70's) is brilliant and alive with detail.
The locations used to bring the setting to life are staggering and add to the films authenticity.
The scenery is breathtaking, the costumes are majestic,

Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio delivers as mesmerisingly moving performance as Cleo.
She expertly, beautifully and poignantly captures the nurturing, maternal presence required for such a part as well as the vulnerability required to come across as genuine.

5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.