Roma

I already want to see "Roma" again.

It took me a good while to settle into the rhythms of Alfonso Cuaron's critically acclaimed new film, and by the time I did I wanted to go back and start it over to see what I might have missed. A lot comes at the viewer in "Roma," and it's hard to take it all in on a first viewing. No...that's the wrong way to put it. Nothing comes at you -- you have to go after it. That's what makes "Roma" unique. Cuaron crams his frame in any given scene with tons of movement and sound, but he shoots almost everything in medium and long shots and chooses to pan his camera rather than insert a lot of edits. The result is you have to decide what you want to look at, and while the main protagonist is in virtually every scene, she's not always necessarily the focal point.

That protagonist, by the way, is Cleo, maid to a wealthy family and played in a quiet and quietly devastating performance by Yalitza Aparicio. "Roma" is an episodic assemblage of scenes that shows what life is like for Cleo, without big showy emotional moments or much editorializing. She's treated fairly well by the family she works for, but make no mistake -- they rarely let her forget she's their employee. The film is a lot about privilege. The family treats Cleo as one of their own when they feel like it or when it's convenient to, but don't when it's not. She's part of their most intimate moments and they her's, but she'll never really be one of them. She has much to take care of, but nothing of her own to really care for. And there's a big wide world out there, the movie makes clear, that will never include people like Cleo.

For a while I was a little disappointed that I wasn't feeling "Roma" as much as I wanted to and as much as rapturous reviews led me to believe I would. I was engaged by it, but I didn't feel heavily involved emotionally. But then pretty far into the movie something happens to Cleo, and in that moment I realized how invested I was in how things turned out for her. "Roma" sneaks up on you in that way.

Grade: A

Full of life in every shot, Alfonso Cuaron has proven that he is one of the greatest directors of all time. Deserved every nomination and it's going do dominate the Oscars for Sure.

No masterpiece needs a campaign that costs 30 million to win best picture....

I feel very similarly to Roma as I did to Dunkirk, though they are extraordinarily different films and subject matters. Both are made by directors I love, and both I appreciate the constant technical brilliance shown in each scene. Ultimately in both cases I was emotionally detached and thought it was a good movie but not at all a memorable one. There is no doubt that Roma leans entirely on Aparicio, and she knocks it out of the park. The subtlety to her acting and her body language and uses of silence are excellent. As is Cuaron's hallmark, the cinematography is excellent, and particularly the 360 pan with Cleo turning off the lights was well shot. The childbirth and ocean scenes were enrapturing and tense. The scene in the furniture store was my favorite of the movie - the intersection of the small private world we've seen with the family and the student protests outside was well shot and executed. I can intellectually appreciate all the things Roma has to offer, and can understand why some think it's a masterpiece and the best of the year. If it emotionally connected with people and had them crying at the end, I just didn't have that experience. It's a very well done slice of life movie that focuses on appreciation for a maid who does everything for a family, and in going through her daily life we see other major events unfold. But despite consistently great acting and cinematography and several really good scenes, the vast majority of the movie varied from smart but detached filmmaking to mundane, every day life. Maybe the black and white and Spanish elements also contributed, but I just didn't particularly enjoy most of the individual scenes. Reflecting on it as a full piece and the motifs that we see throughout allow me to enjoy and appreciate it more, but while watching it I just wasn't invested. I'm glad most love it and think this is just me not connecting with the film, but while Roma is a technical marvel, it was just a fine story.

The title refers to the neighborhood in Mexico City where Director Alfonso Cuaron grew up in the 70s. It could just have easily been entitled 'Libo' for the movie is the filmmaker's reflection on the woman who helped raise him - his family's maid. The fictionalized story renames the woman Cleo (a lovely natural performance by newcomer Yalitza Aparicio).

ROMA takes it's time developing its story-line. It's less a series of events, as much as an observation of a year in the life of Cleo and the family she cares for. It has been described, somewhat incorrectly, as Neo-Realist. Shooting in Black & White and having a story involving the poor does not automatically denote Neo-Realism. The movie is Cuaron's ode to his childhood. It's a memory movie, told from HIS perspective - not of Cleo's and the underclass. What makes the movie work is Cuaron's careful attention to the smallest details - simple eye contact, the food, child's play and washing dog droppings on the driveway. Important events happen to Cleo and the family, but, they are presented in the unhurried manner that feels truer than in most contrived screenplays.

The aforementioned Black & White cinematography is by Cuaron himself (his regular cameraman, Emmanuel Lubezki was unavailable). The camera-work feels very much 'directed'. At times, you can almost feel Cuaron steering the camera to capture exactly what Cuaron, the Director, feels is critical. The effect cuts both ways. On one hand, it becomes a true Auteur project (Cuaron also writes and is the co-editor!). On the other, it further emphasizes that this is CUARON's story, and not that of Cleo and the other characters. In that way, Cuaron comes between the viewer and the action on screen.

Much has been made about Aparicio's performance, and, it is a wonder. Much of the other cast are also non-professionals (in that way, it does have a connection to Neo-Realist cinema) and they perform ably. The other tech credits are solid, but, the main discussion has been on the 65mm Digital photography (a somewhat confusing moniker that has some believing it was shot on actual film). The larger sensor does give it a clearer image than traditional digital camerawork, but, seen in a movie theater on DCP, still lacks the richer black level and silvery white level of actual 65mm Film. For all the acclaim (and awards) Cuaron and ROMA's cinematography has gotten, it still resembled Grey & Greyer more than true celluloid B&W.

ROMA is a lovely memoir. It isn't a movie to be dissected as one would normally do for its plotting. It is best to let it wash over you - just as the movie frequently does with water flowing and jets gliding above.