Alfonso Cuarón is one of my favourite filmmakers working today. He displays such flair with the camera and the stories he tells. With Roma, he has made his most personal and honest film yet.
Roma shows us a year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City during the early 1970s.
What I genuinely love in Alfonso Cuarón's films apart from the story is the way he uses the camera. Not only do the long takes he does look incredibly impressive but it feels like a character itself. Cuarón focuses on the immersive quality of films and the way he blends the camera into scenes of action and emotion brings us into the film's world and leaves us entranced till the very end. His latest film, Roma, is a prime example of this. Being his own cinematographer, Cuarón uses stunning long/medium shots panning around the location without breaking the take for extended periods of time, providing a transcendent experience like no other. Told through the perspective of Cleo, Cuarón takes us through her struggles and hardships as well as the family's she works for and the city in general. His moving camera here takes upon the role of the audience and guides us through the scenarios as if we were witnessing it first-hand. What adds to the immersion is the amazing sound design. The sounds heard from the background of every shot builds to create a natural environment that captures the raw intensity or drama displayed by the visuals. I wish I saw this in cinemas to get the full effect of the sound design because it's that good.
There's no doubt that Roma is one of the best shot films I've seen. Aside from capturing the troubles these characters go through and the turmoil the city is in, the intricacy of those shots are impressive in itself. There are scenes involving hundreds of extras with stuff going on in the background and it's such a feat for the eyes. It's no wonder Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director. Every single performance in Roma is fantastic. Yalitza Aparicio is phenomenal as Cleo. She gives such a natural and believable performance that it's crazy to think that this is her first time acting. There are some scenes that demand a lot from her but she pulls them off brilliantly. Marina de Tavira was fantastic in the supporting role and the children acted very well.
Roma is yet another fantastic Alfonso Cuarón film. It's a nice change of pace from him and felt very special considering how intimate it felt to him. Cuarón displayed top-notch filmmaking once again and gave another reason as to why he's such a great director.
Roma shows us a year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City during the early 1970s.
What I genuinely love in Alfonso Cuarón's films apart from the story is the way he uses the camera. Not only do the long takes he does look incredibly impressive but it feels like a character itself. Cuarón focuses on the immersive quality of films and the way he blends the camera into scenes of action and emotion brings us into the film's world and leaves us entranced till the very end. His latest film, Roma, is a prime example of this. Being his own cinematographer, Cuarón uses stunning long/medium shots panning around the location without breaking the take for extended periods of time, providing a transcendent experience like no other. Told through the perspective of Cleo, Cuarón takes us through her struggles and hardships as well as the family's she works for and the city in general. His moving camera here takes upon the role of the audience and guides us through the scenarios as if we were witnessing it first-hand. What adds to the immersion is the amazing sound design. The sounds heard from the background of every shot builds to create a natural environment that captures the raw intensity or drama displayed by the visuals. I wish I saw this in cinemas to get the full effect of the sound design because it's that good.
There's no doubt that Roma is one of the best shot films I've seen. Aside from capturing the troubles these characters go through and the turmoil the city is in, the intricacy of those shots are impressive in itself. There are scenes involving hundreds of extras with stuff going on in the background and it's such a feat for the eyes. It's no wonder Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director. Every single performance in Roma is fantastic. Yalitza Aparicio is phenomenal as Cleo. She gives such a natural and believable performance that it's crazy to think that this is her first time acting. There are some scenes that demand a lot from her but she pulls them off brilliantly. Marina de Tavira was fantastic in the supporting role and the children acted very well.
Roma is yet another fantastic Alfonso Cuarón film. It's a nice change of pace from him and felt very special considering how intimate it felt to him. Cuarón displayed top-notch filmmaking once again and gave another reason as to why he's such a great director.