Roma

Movie Name: Roma
Year of Release: 2018

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Stars: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Nancy Garcia Garcia, Veronica Garcia, Fernando Grediaga, Jorge Antonio Guerrero

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis & Review:

Celebrated director Alfonso Cuaron is back, following his hugely successful latest endeavor "Gravity", which garnered him the directorial Academy Award in 2013. This time around the focus and scope of the film is definitely in smaller scale than the previous one, but no less rewarding. The film follows the story of Cleo, a young housemaid for an affluent Mexican family in the early 70s. Cleo lives with a large family, taking care of the children, since both parents work. Her daily chores keep her regularly busy, but she still has time for a personal life, including dates with a young  man who is very much enraptured by her. As life changes in the household, so does it for Cleo, who suddenly sees herself in an unexpected situation, but who finds nonetheless the support, love and care from the family she has always provided for.
"Roma" is an autobiographical film for the director, who captured his childhood and the relationship he had with his family's housemaid/caregiver during the early 70s. It's a film stylistically stunning, featuring a beautiful cinematography, one that captures a time that has gone by, without making it ostensibly reverential, but more like a time capsule - the Mexican daily life for an affluent family in the 70s. It's a film focused on observing life, the daily chores, the relationships between people, how love united this group of people, allowing them to move through challenges and even political upheavals, without unraveling what the concept of family truly was. Even if the film focuses on Cleo, there's however a certain lack of depth in how her character actually gets captured - the camera shies away from probing deeper, it always stops just close enough. In a way, this film is like going through a beautiful photo book, one that illustrates the life of a family, but without really going deep enough to make us understand the aspirations, dreams and desires underlying its members. It's perfectly captured, with impeccable production design, and acted with just enough naturalism to render the film beautifully and authentically. It's a strong snapshot from one of the most technically virtuous directors working today.