If you love film and yearn for depth, tension, beauty and a complex layered story, look no further, ROMA is a masterpiece.
ROMA is written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, known by some for his breakthrough film Y Tu Mamá También (2001). He is a master storyteller who takes the viewer for a ride through a slice of life in a Mexico City suburb in the 1970s.
From the opening frames I was sucked in to having to sit back, relax and soak in the stunning visual imagery Cuarón gave us through the camera lens. The water sweeping over the tiles was heightened by the sound of the recurring splashes as my curiosity grew to find out what we were looking at.
We are introduced to a middle-income family with kids, a dog and a nanny.
The story centres around two women (the lady of the house and her nanny) who become dependant on each other for survival. Their bond is strengthened by their love for the kids and their search for something good in their lives.
The director has us go on an emotional roller coaster teetering between love and warmth and fear and hate. There is an underlying tension of grittiness that never allows the viewer to look away.
Yalitza Aparicio plays the nanny, Cleo, and this is her professional acting debut. You would never know it as Cuarón works with her to bring out a consistency in her performance that is compelling to watch. There is a complexity in her looks and thoughts that keep us captivated in her journey. Her performance is strong and deserved of critical and award kudos.
Apparently the director did not show the entire script to the actors and instead gave them verbal direction and, in some cases, contradictory direction to the actors in the same scene. Why? Because the director wanted to capture the rawness of the performances, the characters and the substance of the scene. He wanted “chaos [because as he says] that's exactly what life is about…”
The camera work is reminiscent of some of the great European directors like Fellini or Truffaut and also the great Japanese director Kurosawa. Cuarón uses his camera like a master painter, slowly panning and focusing in on a character's expression, a dog jumping, kids swimming, a hospital room or riots in the street. The camera allows the viewer to take in the moments through wide angles and master shots, giving time for the viewer to think about what they are seeing.
ROMA is the real thing. It is mesmerizing and beautiful, compelling and thought provoking. Kudos to the director and actors. For this I give ROMA five out of five tugboats.
ROMA is playing during the Powell River Film Festival at 7 pm on Wednesday, February 13, at the Patricia Theatre.
Stephen J. Miller is a producer and creative writer in feature films and television, and past owner of repertoire movie theatres.
