Roma review: Alfonso Cuaron’s bittersweet masterpiece

It’s rare to see an Oscar frontrunner debut on Netflix, but that is very much the case for Alfonso Cuaron’s personal drama, Roma, which just may be the best Netflix original to date.

Netflix, up until recently, hasn’t been known for showing a strong presence at the Oscars. Films that aim for Oscar glory must meet the requirements to be eligible for consideration, one of those is showing your film in theaters for a specific amount of time. Theaters aren’t exactly Netflix’s cup of tea and they would much rather debut the film on their streaming platform only. Alfonso Cuaron’s newest film, Roma, is one of the rare exceptions in this case.

Roma, from the acclaimed director of Gravity, Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Y Tu Mama Tambien, makes a strong case for the Oscars by winning the praises of critics all over the world at various film festivals. The film won the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival (the same award that eventual Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water, won) and critics in general have hailed it as one of the best films of the year.

All of this critical praise was enough for Netflix to put Roma in theaters for a short bit, albeit in a limited release platform, but make no mistake: Netflix will still prioritize their own streaming service over movie theaters.

The film made its worldwide debut on Netflix this past Friday, meaning that Cuaron’s semi-autobiographical drama was now available for the general public to see.

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Cuaron’s tale of bittersweet love in 1970s Mexico is unlike anything he has ever created. It is the famed director’s first Spanish-language film since Y Tu Mama Tambien and an absolutely far cry from the ambitious blockbusters he has directed since then.

Cuaron has made a name for himself as a versatile director that can make movies for both general audiences and art film crowds, but Roma is very clearly a movie for himself, given the real story it is based on. It only makes it better that his most personal film may just be his best film to date.

Family love

Roma is not the kind of film that aims to complicate its own story and appear convoluted to the viewer. The film’s story is relatively simple and almost a little too bare-bones, as Roma follows Cleo (a wonderful debut from newcomer Yalitza Aparicio), a personal maid for a middle-class family in Mexico City at the start of the 1970s, and her life as a servant to the family and second mother to the various children in the family as well.

That’s essentially the main story and we pretty much only follow Cleo’s perspective as the family struggles with inner turmoil and loneliness while still trying to remain strong together as a family.

A story this simple (at least on the surface) can turn out underwhelming and underdeveloped under so many other filmmakers, but Alfonso Cuaron sees the story of Cleo as anything but simple. Cuaron explores the subtle pains that Cleo and other people in her position go through and quickly the realization dawns that even the most seemingly normal and happy families have their own personal issues.

We witness these events through Cleo’s eyes, as she finds herself drowning in her own problems while simultaneously dealing with the family’s turmoil.

Cuaron does his absolute best (with magnificent results) to present Cleo and the family with gut-wrenching realism and a sense of genuine humanity, thereby allowing the viewers to view the family purely under their own perspective rather than forcing perspective on us. The family is loving and appreciative of Cleo, but some moments of anger boil the surface, causing tension and doubt for the family’s love for her, much like how it can be in real life.

The family in Roma are about as complicated as any other family that even exists and Cuaron aims to present the beautiful things that can come with such a family, amid the tense moments.

Bittersweet compassion

Yet, despite all of these positives, there’s not an inch of me that would believe that it would’ve been as effective without the involvement of the main actor, Yalitza Aparicio, in the role of the compassionate maid. Aparicio brings a tender soul and heart to Cleo, who makes it abundantly clear that she cares for the family with all of her heart while still maintaining a personality of her own. She’s playful, loves to joke around with the family’s other maid, Adela, and socialize with her boyfriend, Fermin, and his brother.

Aparicio keeps the focus of Roma stable, appearing in just about every scene even if just to observe something happening. Early on, we get a scene of the entire family sitting together watching television. An otherwise mundane family night is special in Cleo’s eyes, who looks on in a state of wonder and peace and even briefly stays to watch TV with the family.

Aparicio’s sweet expressions bring a new sense of appreciation for seemingly boring and uneventful happenings. Aparicio gives Cleo a realistic sense of optimism without downplaying her own personal struggles, providing viewers with a compelling look at a life that doesn’t receive too much perspective in film.

Equally compelling is Marina de Tavira, who plays the matriarch of the main family, Sofia. A friendly, talkative, if not somewhat temperamental woman, Sofia suffers her from own problems in the form of a loss early on in the film that affects her throughout the runtime.

Despite this, there’s never a sense where Sofia doesn’t feel like her own person and Tavira performs this role with stunning emotion and heartbreaking pain.

Sofia is a mother at odds with her own personal worth, which is taken out on the family with her temper. Roma doesn’t skimp around on the anger she is feeling and how she chooses to express it nor does it present this through the lens of antagonism. Some people may have a problem with how her character is treated and treats others, specifically Cleo, but Cuaron chooses a complex route with Sofia, who has her own arc in tandem with Cleo to bring them together, if the results are sometimes messy.

Once again, the messiness is just a part of real life, which is a major theme of Roma to be explored.

Get the tissue box ready

All of these elements are only heightened by the detailed and beautiful camera movements and sound design. Alfonso Cuaron was not only the writer and director of Roma, but also its cinematographer and the results are outstanding. Cuaron is patient, letting each shot go on for upwards of 3-5 minutes while the camera soaks in everything about the scenery.

From bustling streets with street vendors to the shores of a beach with waves rhythmically pounding against the shoreline, Roma is a film you can FEEL as much as watch. It’s honestly borderline ASMR if you watch it with headphones and I mean that in a complimentary way.

With this, Roma can present the events of the film with a startlingly detailed execution and the long-running shots and sound design only elevate the multiple emotional moments of the film.

These are scenes that already contain some disturbing and ultimately uncomfortable imagery, but with Cuaron lingering on these images, the final result is just plain heartbreak. Roma is as charming and humorous as it emotional and sob-inducing and not one moment feels manipulated in that sense.

The film earns its emotion thanks to the compelling characters and story, but take it from someone who has seen it: the movie is not meant to make you miserable by film’s end. Though several incredibly heartbreaking scenes fill up the film’s third act, Roma has a glimmer of hope to always show, even in the darkest moments.

No matter how evil and cruel life can be, Roma demonstrates that there is always love and compassion to be found in somebody and something, which the film ultimately embraces by film’s end, which concludes with a sign of hope for the future amid the heartbreak scenes before it.

I will warn you all: Roma is the ultimate feels trip and it will not be easy for some of you to watch. That’s just the unfortunate truth. This is my attempt at a trigger warning because the idea of death and loss are explored in great detail here, which may be hard to take in.

That being said, I encourage anyone reading this review to give this film a chance to resonate with you. Try not to think about how the film might make you feel like garbage and focus on the beauty that is easily the main focal point of Roma.

The film celebrates the complexity of life without shying away from darker moments and at the end of the day, Roma implores the viewers to treat life and those close friends and family around you with delicate care.

Love is at the forefront of this film and while that may sound cheesy, it doesn’t take away from the emotional journey that is Roma. Sadness may linger throughout the film, but a finer appreciation for life is what follows after the film’s end, along with a now-presumably empty tissue box.

Final Verdict: 10s across the board!

Roma is now available to stream on Netflix, along with a slew of limited theater showings. Have you seen Roma? If so, what were your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below!