Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarόn “Roma” follows a year in the life of middle class family living in Mexico City, taking place from 1970 to 1971 and based on the real events in the life of the director Cuarόn. Though not perfect in its delivery, Roma is beautifully filmed and feels in parts more like an artistic vision as opposed to a motion picture, which during some moments does hinder the viewing experience as a whole. The delivery of the plot does some times feels methodical in the way each moment comes at you in the same way. However the strong performances and gorgeous camera work, along with the unique style of this film, does make it captivating to watch.
The portrayal of the Mexican environment depicted in the film is harsh and unruly, giving it a very rough and real feel, which is able to keep the viewer immersed within the world created. The way it is filmed though is still highly artistic and there is much to admire about the way the film is shot. There are some very interesting and impressive bits of camera work, such as the opening shot of the film that sees the camera focused on a stone pattern, that could easily be from a church, but is then shown to be a garage.
The dynamics between the members of the family and the two maids that work in the household is almost seamless, and by far one of the strongest aspects of this film, making it feel as though it is a
documentary instead of a film. The main character of this film is Cleo, one of the maids who works in the household. The portrayal of this character is brilliant and is really brought to life by the actress Yalitza Aparicio, who despite barely saying anything throughout the entire film, manages to really give depth and sincerity to the character, making the viewer get behind her throughout all the events of the film.
The fact that Cuarόn only used part time actors for the roles in the film make the world and feel he managed to generate with this film all the more impressive. The chaotic life of Cleo and the family living in Roma makes the film captivating to watch, along with the style choices and artistry of the film. Though it Is not without flaws in the occasional stunted delivery of the plot, Roma is by far one of the stand out films of the year and deserves every bit of praise it has thus far received.