Roma Review

 

Douglas Smith Biz of Film 002

Roma Review

9.21.20

 

Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 film Roma not only artistically captures the raw essence of !970’s Mexico City, but it also tells a realistically emotional story of class and the human condition through strong characterization, incredible cinematography, and an impressive sense of world space. For a good many people this film probably did not seem incredibly relatable, but it is for those who can identify with it that a true triumph of cinema is achieved. Through its centralization of the indigenous working class experience, Roma brings into focus a telling part of reality which in most entertainment is still yet largely unrecognized today despite the millennia of people who have lived lives closely similar to Cleo’s.                                                              The story takes place in early 1970’s Mexico City and centers around an upper middle-class family headed by an unfaithful Doctor, his wife and four kids, and most notably Cleo, one of their live-in maids. Through many scenes and vignettes, the audience learns how these people live through good times and bad, rain and shine, culture and drama. The tale, which is very personal for Director Alfonso Cuaron, brings to life many aspects of a seemingly bygone era through technology, fashion, politics, and more. This recreating process truly allows the viewer to feel like they are right there in the time period even when out in the open and on the street.              Perhaps the greatest overall element of Roma, and the award it won an Oscar for, is cinematography. The manner in which water, objects, tools and more are captured is truly something to behold as they are presented with such a stylistic quality that the eye can seldom look away. The fact of course that all these shots are composed of every day things is truly, in my opinion, what makes cinema what it is- for the ability, especially in this case- to fabricate the real, out of the real itself.  This is not to mention the camera movement that occurs in the film, such as those city street dolly shots covering what seem like entire sagas of Mexico City in just a brief few seconds. Should anything else be mentioned but these elements it would likely have to be the acting, which through talents such as Cleo’s Yalitza Aparicio, is often truly captivating itself. (So much so, as to seem real again). The performances delivered herein have both a legendary feature film quality to them, as well as a theatrical one, due to the frequency of full shots.                                                                                                                                                                    Though this was about my fourth time seeing the film I was still heavily drawn into its world, so much so at several points as desiring to enter it for myself and have a look around. This then is just the testament to the skill and craft achieved in the production. As a film of what feels both old and new, through a black and white format, and developed modern cinema techniques Roma rightfully deserves to be hailed as one of the greatest films of all time.