Roma

No masterpiece needs a campaign that costs 30 million to win best picture....

Beautifully shot. Impressive long takes as per with Cuarón. Very emotional later in the film, however slow start drags it down to an 8 in my opinion. Well worth a watch if your in the right mood.

This film starts as if in slow motion and very little seems to happen as we observe the mundane actions of a young woman. I did wonder if I was going to stay the course. Gradually the pace picks up and draws you in to the daily life of the young woman who we learn is the maid, and the life of the family she works for. The ups and downs of life are in this chaotic city are well conveyed with the ordinary and the dramatic side by side. Beautifully shot with every frame counting it has heart and soul and is very moving at times. If it has a weakness it is a lack of narrative drive, it is essentially anecdotal but gripping none the less if you allow yourself to be drawn into this world.

Full of life in every shot, Alfonso Cuaron has proven that he is one of the greatest directors of all time. Deserved every nomination and it's going do dominate the Oscars for Sure.

I feel very similarly to Roma as I did to Dunkirk, though they are extraordinarily different films and subject matters. Both are made by directors I love, and both I appreciate the constant technical brilliance shown in each scene. Ultimately in both cases I was emotionally detached and thought it was a good movie but not at all a memorable one. There is no doubt that Roma leans entirely on Aparicio, and she knocks it out of the park. The subtlety to her acting and her body language and uses of silence are excellent. As is Cuaron's hallmark, the cinematography is excellent, and particularly the 360 pan with Cleo turning off the lights was well shot. The childbirth and ocean scenes were enrapturing and tense. The scene in the furniture store was my favorite of the movie - the intersection of the small private world we've seen with the family and the student protests outside was well shot and executed. I can intellectually appreciate all the things Roma has to offer, and can understand why some think it's a masterpiece and the best of the year. If it emotionally connected with people and had them crying at the end, I just didn't have that experience. It's a very well done slice of life movie that focuses on appreciation for a maid who does everything for a family, and in going through her daily life we see other major events unfold. But despite consistently great acting and cinematography and several really good scenes, the vast majority of the movie varied from smart but detached filmmaking to mundane, every day life. Maybe the black and white and Spanish elements also contributed, but I just didn't particularly enjoy most of the individual scenes. Reflecting on it as a full piece and the motifs that we see throughout allow me to enjoy and appreciate it more, but while watching it I just wasn't invested. I'm glad most love it and think this is just me not connecting with the film, but while Roma is a technical marvel, it was just a fine story.