I watched Roma two days ago and I felt that as an ‘art-house’ feature it was a masterpiece. I think unless you have lived in Latin America for an extended period it may be difficult to become emotionally attached to the movie like some have commented. So if you aren’t familiar with the social class structure and indigenous culture and their integration / segregation in Latin America, the movie may not feel so engaging as otherwise.
There was so little plot, just like in life, which may be another turn-off for the regular cinema-goer. But when things do go awry just like in life, they kind of creep up on you and then Bang! I felt very present in this movie. It can feel surreal in the moment of crises and watching the three major crises points in the movie I felt profoundly immersed. The cinematography, sound and the performances were impeccable. To include children as much they did in this movie and for it to feel utterly convincing is a wondrous achievement in itself.
I live in Colombia and I felt some of the themes and the general feel of the movie a bit close to home. For instance, the sounds and the images of the women doing the washing on the terraces is remarkably similar to what one might experience in much of Bogota today despite Roma being set in the 1970s! Also Roma exuded this melancholic state which is so pervasive in Latin cinema when dealing with historical events and themes of social classes and race. Moreover, it encapsulated the cultural and interpersonal passion and vibe so inherent in Latin America. It got to that almost inexplicable core of what it feels like to live in a Latino family and its broader society.
Roma is just so unashamedly raw and in some sense too realistic for me. But I was in awe of the quality of this movie. Roma is unequivocally the best movie I saw in 2018.
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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
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