roma (2018)

A MOSAIC OF LIFE WHERE THE PIECES DON’T QUITE FIT

Alfonso Cuarón is a visionary, his films are visually breathtaking, there is no doubt about that, however; beautiful imagery doesn’t always mean a good film. He’s managed to wow us with his masterpiece Children of Men but at the same time, he has managed to bore us with his mundane effort that is Gravity. So where does Roma sit? Right in the middle of that spectrum.

Set in Mexico City during the early 1970s, Roma tells the story of Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) a maid who works for a wealthy family that consists of a wife, husband, and four children. The film follows Cleo’s life during the span of one year and during this time we experience moments that have an impact on Cleo and this family. We go through everything from hardships and love to tragedy and bliss, basically, all the things that bring into light the reality of everyday life.    

Roma is a passion project that director Alfonso Cuarón has wanted to create for years and it’s certainly obvious after watching this film. You can tell this story means a lot to him and so it should as it is based on his own life experiences growing up. Now, there is no denying that Roma is a visually stunning film, the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. However; this seems to be the strongest element of the film and unfortunately the other elements have been compromised as a result, leaving the film to be a classic case of style over substance.   

The biggest casualty of this film is the story, essentially the most important element. Whilst the film is focused on Cleo, we don’t really know anything about her or learn anything about her goals, ambitions, family, or anything really. This, as a result, makes it hard to connect with the story and feel the strong emotion that Cuarón was going for. There are certainly some emotional scenes that rope you in, however; they are far and few between which makes for an often-tiresome viewing.

The performances from everyone involved are impressive, especially considering the fact that a lot of them are first-time actors. Yalitza Aparicio is excellent with the material she’s given as is Marina de Tavira and the children are all great which really adds to the authenticity of the story.

Roma is easily one of the most visually stunning films that we have seen in recent times, it’s just a shame we didn’t get a story to match. It is in no way a bad film, but it’s not a great one either, it sits somewhere in the mediocre middle.  

★★★☆☆

11 DECEMBER 2018