"We Are Alone. No Matter What They Tell You, We Women Are Always Alone..."
Returning to the world of cinema for the first time since 2013's award winning science fiction extravaganza, Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón becomes the latest big name director to fall into the laps of Netflix with Roma, the self-defined most personal project yet for the Academy Award winning Mexican and a film which brings with it an abundance of hype and critical acclaim, with it already in Oscar contention after being put forward for Mexico's choice for Best Foreign Language film in time for next year's ceremony. With Cuarón stating the film is partially inspired by his own upbringing in Mexico City, his decision to produce, write, edit and provide the cinematography undeniably backs up the notion of the Mexican's personal attachment to the project, and with a completely unknown cast to work with, Roma is a relatively simplistic but achingly beautiful work of cinematic art which on first view seemed misguided but on second felt completely wondrous. With the likes of Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men in his back pocket, it's understandable that many audiences will head into Roma expecting similar levels of world building epicness, but with Cuarón choosing to return to his native Mexico for the first time since 2001's, Y Tu Mamá También, Roma is a film which revels in its' own sense of scale in its' own, alternative ways as it works its' way through a naturalistic yet dramatic central narrative in a way which for some may seem utterly wasted but for most is a truly impressive and unforgettable work of cinema.
Primarily walking through the events of the movie through the eyes of Yalitza Aparicio's, Cleo, a hard-working and loyal maid residing in the household of Marina de Tavira's, Sofia, Roma is a low-key, familial, almost soap-esque drama wrapped in the blankets of a modern day epic, one which manages to sift through a wide range of ideas and themes in its' two hour runtime even when ninety percent of the film consists of deep contemplation and a tendency for mood rather than heavy plot exposition. With Cuarón utilising the character of Cleo to not only bear witness to her own trials and tribulations but that of the wider historical context too, a harrowing re-staging of the Corpus Christi massacre and the aftermath of deadly earthquakes potentially poke a hole into the life of a once young Cuarón, and with a central theme running through the entirety of the movie like a vicious spike through the heart regarding the weakness of man and particularly, man's inability to take control in the face of responsibility, it's fair to say that Roma more than anything seems to be an avenue for the Mexican to speak out against his view on fatherhood and potentially the rather negative light he saw such a crucial role when growing up on the streets of Mexico City. Aided by a catalogue of understated yet brilliant central performances from the army of seemingly professional unknowns and amateurs, lead actress, Yalitza Aparicio, is simply stunning in conveying the many emotional highs and lows her character rides through and whilst the film is based around a screenplay in which very little is said, characters are developed through other, minimal means, with each delicately individual and defined within the backdrop of a production which oozes with a stunning level of authenticity which makes every single camera frame feel believable and heartfelt.
Speaking of the camera, with Cuarón deciding to hire himself as the film's director of photography, one may envision a slight touch of trepidation regarding the film's handling of the cinematography, particularly when Cuarón has worked previously with the spellbinding talent of the various Academy Award winning Emmanuel Lubezki, but like any natural artist, Cuarón not only seems to have picked up tips from his various previous DP's throughout his career, but has managed to somehow equal such mastery with a simply gorgeous visual experience, one which blends stunning wide vistas ranging from woodland plains to the crashing of Moonlight inspired oceans, all sat within the forefront of a genuinely staggering chromatic filter. With the film moving from small, delicate insights to set pieces of epic proportions, including a central riot scene which immediately brought to mind the likes of Zulu or even The Dark Knight Rises, Cuarón's favoured and most obvious trick within the movie is the axle spin, with the camera at times wandering on a natural tilt as it follows characters and actions with a strange sense of invasion, and whilst the movie at times suffers from a resounding sense of being too on the nose regarding Cuarón's technical ability as a filmmaker, a particular weakness which sometimes outshines the flow of the very basic narrative, Roma gets away with it by being simply too beautiful to argue with. With the runtime spectacularly long for such a simplistic idea, there is an undeniable sense that maybe Cuarón should have left the editing to someone else, with a few too many lingering character shots and a bizarre David Lynch, Twin Peaks inspired scene not exactly aiding the runtime or the overarching point of the movie, but as a body of cinema, Roma is a film much like Moonlight in the sense that on first viewing may feel wholly disappointing and somewhat nonexistent, but like any true decent work of art, does not leave your mind and it was only on second viewing did I understand the minimalistic and personal nature of Cuarón's most ambitious movie to date, a film which blossoms with technical nuance and one which come the end of it, will leave you in an emotional wreck.
No comments:
Post a Comment