Roma
Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Fernando Grediaga
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Rated: R
Roma follows the life of a housekeeper named Cleo in 1970’s Mexico City. She spends her time working day in and day out for an upper middle class family. As the days go by, Cleo witnesses personal and political turmoil firsthand in a year that will change her life.
Director Alfonso Cuarón has crafted a semi-autobiographical film with Roma. It’s as if the audience is watching a portrait of his childhood memories on display. Each scene evokes a sense of nostalgia from his past that he’s retelling on a massive scale. On a technical level, the film is quite impressive. Cuaron acts as director and cinematographer for the film. He chose to film in black and white which works wonderfully for the aesthetic of Roma. The black and white is stunning in every frame and adds to the feeling that each scene is a faint memory. The camera pans smoothly as a silent third party presence capturing each moment.
I wish the narrative of the film was as strong as the visuals. Much like Cuarón’s Gravity, I found myself impressed by the look of this film, but disappointed by the story. The plot itself feels like a random sequence of events edited together instead of a cohesive film. The characterization is probably the most disappointing element. There is so much focus on Cleo cooking, cleaning, and shopping for the family. Yet, we never really find out much about her as a person. Who is Cleo beyond the events that are happening to her? Considering she’s the main character there were so many things I wanted to know. What are her interests? What was her family life like? Does she dream of having another job? Unfortunately, I felt an extreme level of disconnect between the narrative and the film itself.
Speaking of the characters, Yalitza Aparicio gives an impressive breakout performance as Cleo. She is a quiet presence, but has many emotionally resonant moments when the situation demands. She is like a fly on the wall observing the lives of others, while trying to live her own life. Unfortunately, due to the lack of characterization, I felt like the film was much more focused on framing the daily activities of Cleo than actually getting to know her. There could have been many fascinating topics explored here, but they never come to fruition. Yalitza Aparicio does wonderfully with what she’s given, but I can’t help but wonder what else this character could have become if she was given more of a voice.
Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo
Marina de Tavira and Fernando Grediaga play Sofia and Antonio, the husband and wife that Cleo works for. Sofia is a biochemist who stays at home to keep the house in order and Antonio is a doctor. The two have a rocky relationship that feels like it could shatter at any moment. Sofia is forced to be strong when everything goes wrong.
It’s clear that Roma is Alfonso Cuarón’s most personal film. Several scenes feel like memories and others feel like vignettes of life that have made their way to the screen. The problem is there’s never a strong connection to these characters. Roma is a technical accomplishment, but it lacks a strong narrative framework.
My Rating: 6/10