TIFF 2018 #16

Probably not the long-awaited masterpiece I wanted though a beautiful film nonetheless. Not just for it’s gorgeous cinematography but it’s gentle storytelling too. 

What I loved most of all about it was that it was told from the perspective of Cleo, one of the family’s maids and it uses her as the anchor for the film. This allows the film to have more of a fly on the wall perspective for a lot of the scenes to explore class & colourism via the contrast of experiences between her & the family. I feel most filmmakers would focus on the family and just have quick moments with Cleo or another maid, which to me typically feels cheap or not as sincere.

I also appreciate that it’s not a message film or misery-porn. That like the best of Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, it tries to just allows things to exist & unfold as naturally as a film can.