Review: Roma

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira

The plot follows the life of a live-in housekeeper to a middle-class family in the early 70's.

All I can say is finally! Once I heard about this film, and that it was directed by Alfonso

Cuarón, I was instantly excited. Now that the film has released in selected theaters and on Netflix, I can finally say that it was phenomenal, and it is definitely one of my favorite films of this year.

This is a personal project from director Alfonso Cuarón, who directed films such as Children of Men, Gravity, and Y Tu Mamá También. This film was made to reflect Cuarón's upbringing in Mexico City. Like Wes Anderson, he personally oversaw all aspects of the film's production, from direction, to screenplay, to cinematography, to production and costume design. This film further cements, why Alfonso Cuarón is one of the best filmmakers in the industry, and one of my favorite directors as well.

The plot was engaging and it's themes are realistic. The performances were fantastic, even with the child actors, and the characters were relatable. Yalitza Aparicio's performance especially was incredible and she has to be recognized for her powerful performance (You listening Academy Awards?).

Visually, this film was sensational. The decision to present the film in black and white was a great one, showing that color is not needed to make a film visually pleasing. The cinematography and framing were fantastic and the film was beautifully shot. The tracking shots are incredible and instantly absorb you into the film's environment. You'll all know when I say, that I love a good one-take shot, and this film has many of them. There is no music in the film, which I feel is a good decision, displaying that films don't need music to impact an audience. I felt the pacing was smooth, but others might not like the pacing and find it too slow.

It's hard to find any flaws honestly, but as I said, it's slow pacing might put people off, so if you don't enjoy those kind of films, then I think you won't enjoy this one as much.

This film is more personal to me as well, cause I too had a maid who has taken care of the family for over 40 years. Word's cannot describe how much she has sacrificed for my siblings and my family, she's not a servant, but a family member and one of our own. This film just reminds me of that, and I too have the same emotions that Cuarón has displayed in this film, and with the character's emotions to their maid. I love my maid, and I see her as a mother figure, who helped raise me to the man I am today. This review is for you Namera (her name).

One thing I'll be disappointed about, is that this film will be most likely win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, but I believe it should excel beyond that. This film definitely deserves a Best Picture award, alongside recognizing Cuarón's fantastic work directing this film, shooting the film, as well as Aparicio's incredible performance. Also disappointed to see some people judge the film based on it's low box-office. first of all, it was released in selected theaters, and second of all, just like Cuarón, I wished box-office success, doesn't judge a film. If box-office success judged a film, then The Nun would be winning Best Picture guys (and I'm pretty sure nobody wants that to happen).

In conclusion, it's a very beautifully made film. the film will make you feel all types of certain emotions, and emotions that will last long after the credits have rolled. It may be in black and white, but it shows the most emotion and heart than most of the films made in 2018, that's for sure. Definitely one of the best films to have released this year, and my personal favorite of this year. Alfonso Cuarón, you are a genius, and this film is a definite masterpiece.

My rating: 10/10

#FilmReview #2018 #CTRecommended