"Roma" Movie Review

    Well, it’s Oscar season again and to many people’s surprise, Netflix actually had some pretty serious contenders this year and one film, “Roma”, became a critical favorite and managed to garner ten Oscar nominations this year.  I actually watched the movie a few days before the nominations were announced but I unfortunately have not been able to share my thoughts on the film until now.  So, let me share my thoughts on this critical darling.

    “Roma” tells the story of a young live-in servant named Cleo in Mexico during the 70’s.  The film was written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and it is inspired by his own upbringing.  During the film, Cleo ends up getting pregnant just as the marriage of her employers is falling apart.  Sofia, the matriarch of the family, has to deal with the fact that her husband has left her while finding some purpose in helping Cleo during her pregnancy.  The bond between the two women grow as the film progresses and their relationship changes as life changes them.

    The film is filled with some surprisingly effective comedic moments as well as heart breaking scenes that leave you in near tears.  While these elements are played beautifully well, I feel the film drug in quite a few places.  The runtime felt long to me for a rather simple story to tell.  I am in the minority here among critics, but that is how I feel.

    The actors all did a stellar job in this film.  Both Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira deliver brilliant performances that showcase them at their lowest and makes you believe they could still get back up after all the things both women have gone through.

    Alfonso Cuarón delivers a beautifully shot film and choosing to make this black and white helps put you in the 70s. The film has no English spoken throughout since it is set in Mexico.  Spanish and Mixtec are the only languages spoken in the film, however there are English subtitles.

    I feel like “Roma” was made for a certain audience and I am just not in their wheelhouse.  That isn’t to say that I feel like “Roma” is a bad film, it is just not a film made for me.  That being said, it is also hard to totally ignore the creative choices made in this film.

Grade: C