In one brilliant scene about halfway through Roma, the family at the center of this intimate drama take a trip to the movies to see an unnamed film about an astronaut exploring space. While this might seem like a random detail, it serves as a knowing wink to audiences familiar with the director’s last work, as well as a confirmation of the film’s central thesis.
This is a deeply personal film for Alfonso Cuarón, and while his younger self may not be the central figure in this story (he never even explicitly states which young boy is supposed to be him), he’s showing viewers how he became the director he is today. And while worlds away from his sci-fi epics, Roma is no less grand in scope, or short on cinematic wonder.
But while this film may be autobiographical in nature, it is primarily a movie about two women who played a major role in his upbringing. In one corner is Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a shy maid who quietly observes the world around her and cares deeply about the wealthy family she works for. In the other: Sofia (Marina de Tavira), the well-meaning, wealthy matriarch of the family. Through a series of unfortunate events, both women find themselves alone, but begin to form an unorthodox family unit of their own in 1970s Mexico City. There’s not much else going on here, story wise, and that’s perfectly fine: Cuarón mines plenty of human drama from the story.
He certainly takes his time to tell this simple story, and his leisurely pace definitely takes a few scenes to dial-in to. This is a naturalistic film, in which characters spend quite a bit of time carrying out rather dull, day-to-day tasks, in scenes that don’t reach any emotional climax but help inform their characters, which is crucial for the film’s final act. The level of detail in these scenes are simply stunning, however, and only amplified by Cuarón’s lifelike cinematography that often feels more like a giant window into the real world as opposed to just a cinematic recreation. For much of this first hour, he either captures the regular parts of day-to-day life, like a post-coital chat between lovers, or recreates childhood memories with just the slightest hint of nostalgia. And it all feels so real.
But things change eventually. Cuarón’s extended scenes start to punctuate themselves with surprising, suspenseful endings, which take the universal sense of realism and turns them into firmly personal memories. From a family Christmas that takes a turn for the worse, to a brutal recreation of the Corpus Christi massacre, Roma‘s second act is occasionally quite hard to watch. There are many scenes that feel like quiet knives to the gut, and some developments which may not be surprises, but are made no less devastating by their predictability. The emotional seeds planted in the hyper-realistic first act come in handy here, where the intense connections we’ve made with the characters help us to empathize with them on a level that few dramas can achieve. This all leads to a final third that will leave even the most stiff-lipped of audience members openly sob.
Much has been made about whether or not Roma would make for a good watch at home. It is true — Roma makes for a stunning cinematic experience in theaters, and if you’re privileged enough to live within an hour of a theater showing the movie, do yourself a favor and seek it out. In addition to its brilliant cinematography, the film showcases enviable sound design that quite literally places you in the center of the engrossing world shown on screen — it’s a positively overwhelming experience.
But, really, it’s a minor miracle that Netflix produced this film and agreed to make it their top horse this Oscar season. Any other year, this 2.5 hour, black & white, slow-burn of a character study would be lucky to make a name for itself outside the art house circuit in NY and LA — even with a director like Cuarón behind the camera. It’s correct to say that seeing Roma on the big screen is a remarkable experience, but to insist that it’s the only way to watch the film is pretentious, reductive, and maybe even a little classist.
If Roma is at all of interest to you, do yourself a favor: give yourself over to the film and allow yourself to be totally immersed in it. This is not a film to put on in the background as you fold laundry, or to watch in a small window on your laptop while browsing Twitter. Avoid your phone as much as humanly possible, limit your small talk, and focus on the story in front of you. Cuarón has crafted a film that rewards patient and attentive viewers. Their prize? One of the best films of 2018.
Overall rating: 10 out of 10.
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