A year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Alfonso Cuarón is one of the most inventive directors of this modern filmmaking era. At the turn of the century, he has blessed us with “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and the sci-fi classics, “Children of Men” and “Gravity.” Because Cuarón does not make films often, his releases are seen as big events in the movie world. “Roma” was building buzz as another one of Cuarón’s film spectacles and was high on my list of movies I wanted to see. Unfortunately, while “Roma” is a beautifully made movie, it does fall into my least favorite of Cuarón’s movies.
Yalitza Aparicio plays Cleo, a maid for a family of four kids currently going through marital problems while living in the political turmoil of Mexico in the 1970s. Aparicio gives a human performance as her character deals with an unwanted pregnancy and still trying to “belong” in this family she takes care of. The rest of the family gives good performances with heavy appreciation of Cuarón getting great performances from four child actors. My biggest problem with the film falls within the story. While there are many emotional moments and a few nail-biting scenes towards the end of the film, the majority of “Roma” isn’t attention-grabbing. The story is just a tad bit too bland in the first two acts and could be boring to a lot of audiences who catch this on Netflix. While the third act really picks up the slack of the rest of the film, it isn’t enough to be excused.
One aspect Cuarón will never disappoint in is making a technically sound film. The cinematography, headed by Cuarón himself, is phenomenal, with beautifully orchestrated long takes that feel natural and less like a gimmick. The way he directs the film makes you feel like a fly on the wall with all of these scenes. There are three scenes of disarray that are shot without a cut that will leave your jaw on the floor. The black and white color grade of the film becomes a notable character in the movie. Film lovers who love Cuarón for his filmmaking ability will not be let down with this one.
All in all, Cuarón delivers the goods on making a film lovers’ dream technically. The story can be boring but the end will make it worth it, to a certain extent. If you have a few hours to spare, I recommend watching this on Netflix.
Now streaming on Netflix
