Why do I love film? Because it has the ability to transport me to a world entirely foreign from my reality, and for that runtime, that’s where I reside. A truly great film will keep me in that world long after the credits have ended and the lights have returned. Roma fits into the latter category
It’s a film that is literally bursting at the seams with life. The ambient noises, sparse camera movements and long takes, and no recognizable faces allow Roma to transcend film, and simply become a glimpse into a reality
Cuarón is a master at showcasing absolute beauty in the midst of some form of despair, and Roma is no exception. Without discussing plot, this film has a few moments where sheer panic and intensity settle in flawlessly
It speaks volumes to the fact that while never explicitly laying out what is occurring in the background of the film, Cuarón is able to translate it to the audience by the time it’s necessary for reaction
Every frame is a painting in this, which isn’t surprising in the slightest, but there were a few times I found myself not reading the subtitles simply because I was lost in all that was happening in the background. Not a problem at all, I just wanted to be so invested in the city
This absolutely deserves to be seen in theaters, but i’m hopeful that many who aren’t familiar with Cuarón will now be exposed to him through Netflix, and I will be rewatching the second it’s available on it. This is my favorite film this year and I would be very surprised at something topping it in the next few months