Review
JAMIE EAST AT THE MOVIES
Roma is exquisitely shot and one of the most beautiful films you’ll watch
What you end up experiencing as a viewer is about as visceral and emotional as you will get this year
If you aren’t already aware, when Alfonso Cuarón demands your attention, you sure as hell better be ready. Effortlessly hurdling genres and styles (he’s brought us everything from ‘Gravity’ to ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’), it’s clear that once a story captures his imagination he will serve it in the most perfect way.
On paper, Roma is about little. A monochrome and subtitled year in the life of a middle- class Mexican family in the early 70’s told largely through the story of their maid Cleo.
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What you end up experiencing as a viewer is about as visceral and emotional as you will get this year.
Set amid political, social and economic unrest this is a semi- autobiographical story, written, directed and produced by Cuarón based on experiences with his own nanny.
The unknown (to us Brits at least) cast is helmed by Yalitza Aparicio, an indigenous Mexican schoolteacher making her acting debut as Cleo the maid.
She is shockingly good and if she is not stood alongside Close, Blunt and Theron on a red carpet in February I'll be livid. Sometimes you really do need someone who doesn’t understand the rules to come and tear them up.
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To expand on the plot will certainly do it a disservice, so I’m not going to bother. What I will say is this; ‘Roma’ is one of the most beautiful film you’ll watch.
It is exquisitely shot. It is also, at times, almost impossible to watch - in particular one graphic scene that will shock and upset you immensely.
Finally, all I’ll say is it’s in the top 5 films of the year - it’s on Netflix and if you don’t allow yourself 135 minutes this weekend to soak it in, we can’t be friends.
Roma 135mins (15)
★★★★★
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