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Roma finds writer-director Alfonso Cuarón in complete, enthralling command of his visual craft - and telling the most powerfully personal story of his career. Read critic reviews
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Oscars 2019: Best Picture Nominations, Surprises, and Snubs
Roma: Trailer 1
Roma: Teaser Trailer 1
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Movie Info
Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise when Antonio suddenly runs away with his mistress and Cleo finds out that she's pregnant. When Sofía decides to take the kids on vacation, she invites Cleo for a much-needed getaway to clear her mind and bond with the family.
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Rating: R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Some Disturbing Images)
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Genre: Drama
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Original Language: Spanish
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Director: Alfonso Cuarón
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Producer: Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, Nicolás Celis
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Writer: Alfonso Cuarón
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Netflix
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Production Co: Esperanto Filmoj, Participant Media
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Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
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News & Interviews for Roma
Critic Reviews for Roma
Audience Reviews for Roma
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Without doubt, although my memory is foggy, this movie is in part a tribute to Federico Fellini. Shot in the same neo-realistic style of Fellini's early work, complete with the beauty of the black and white trademark of neo-realism, my first instinct is to go back and watch Fellini's own film entitled Roma. Both films speak about a director's formative years, and are attempts, I think, to give an objective, maybe even documentary appearance to that story. But they both leak emotional subjectivity all over the place. <p> Specifically, Cuarón's Roma makes very moving points about the treatment of women, about class distinction, and about how life in his childhood Mexico was a place where you could meet death at any moment, whether due to natural environmental causes, such as earthquakes or dangerous water, or at the hands of a mob, or even at the hands of lunatic machismo-driven, egocentric, misogynist. <p> Life is precious, and at the same time it is not. Life and death are two sides of a coin that seem to be flipped on a fairly regular basis. The death of Cleo's baby is one such flip: Had she been able to make it to the hospital in a more timely manner, would the baby have lived? <p> And I tell you, that ocean scene, up until its conclusion, had my stomach tied in knots the same way Man on Wire did. Spoiler alert: If she had died . . . man, I would have been heart-broken. A horrible end for a quotidian life. Awful. Cleo, despite love for the family being her reason raison d'être up to this point in her life, is the one who climbs the ladder to the sky at the end. She has yet to hit upon her real life's purpose, she is yet to make her mark. Perhaps not. Perhaps she has risen as far as she might. After all, that is the laundry room up there. That's another coin being flipped in 1970s Mexico, maybe. <p> All in all, Roma is very interesting for its documentary style, and I love Cleo. Who wouldn't? Brave, that woman. Braver than anyone around her. <p> I must go back and watch Fellini's Roma, while Cuarón's is fresh in my mind. I hope I'll see many parallels.
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ALFONSO CURAON IS A GOD. Now that of course sounds ridiculous to most people, and I wouldn't blame you. Deifying auteur directors can come off as both distasteful and old hat. But this man's filmography combined with his latest masterpiece, Roma, should give you a clue into what I mean exactly. Cuarón along with Alejandro Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro represent what some call "Mexican New Wave," which is a reference to the European New Wave directors who changed cinema into a more personal and contemplative medium. And the comparison is apt, particularly in Cuarón's case. Even his more commercial and mainstream entries (The Prisoner of Azkaban and Gravity) tend to lean on the meditative and reflective side, often taxing the patience of mainstream audiences. And when he leans into his more thought-provoking ventures, (Sólo con Tu Pareja, Y Tu Mamá También, and Children of Men) you get a masterpiece. Roma sits proudly in the latter category. It concerns a middle-class family living in Mexico City during the early 70's. It is semi-autobiographical taking place literally across the street from where the director grew up and has several details from his childhood, including his absentee father, his single mother, going to the movie theater, and the influence of their family maid on his life. And it is from her point of view that we experience Roma, not from the children or the mother, but the family servant. Our protagonist comes from poverty and the indigenous populations of Mexico, but this is not remarked on by either the family or the film. Her background simply…is, like much of the film with its honest and matter-of-fact way of looking at domestic life. Roma's greatest strength and single most defining trait is the beauty of the minutia of everyday life in 1970 Mexico City. Children running down the street as bands play, an affluent neighborhood gives way to a slum, yet strangely both are beautiful in their own way, the rhythm of servants washing clothes and wiping down a driveway, a forest on fire as locals desperately try to put it out, large late 60's American cars struggling to navigate small Mexican alleyways, and a firefight erupting in the streets playing second fiddle to a pregnant woman being rushed to a hospital about to give birth. Many of these themes of everyday life and class division in Mexico closely resembles Y Tu Mamá También, but lacks its sharp cultural and political commentary. Roma's blunt and detached approach to violence may remind some of Children of Men. Roma's black and white cinematography helps reinforce that we are looking at the past, even if it is clear that we are not looking at an idealized past. Poverty, racism, and social strife exist, but they are treated objectively. In the end, the human relationships take center stage, but we are not subjected to maudlin or sentimental tones. It is perhaps one of the greatest examples of Cinéma verité I've ever seen. Yalitza Aparicio give a subdued performance of our often-silent maid and finds the best ways to communicate her emotional state non-verbally. Marina de Tavira does her best as the long-suffering family matriarch, who slowly, but surely realizes that she's on her own. This is probably the best offering Netflix has in terms of pure cinematic quality. It is a slow and deliberate film so patience is required. It more than earned its Best Picture nod at last years Academy Awards and does represent a milestone for streaming services. Perhaps we can get more quality pictures such as this from auteur directors. One can hope.
joshua s Super Reviewer -
Imagine looking at an old album of black and white family photos; each picture provoking memories. But, it's the photos of one of the family's two servants that transcend memories and slowly come to life to reveal a simple woman you'll never forget.
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A couple instances of poor acting by kids, but otherwise extraordinary!
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