Roma

[LoveNDino]

¡que interesante!

 

[+ pitman]

Looking forward to seeing this

[+ azdr0710]

what a great trailer.....cinematography looks fantastic......

[+ Cash4Trash]

In some theaters now - It's a Netflix produced film and will begin streaming on 12/16.

[+ pitman]

It has been awarded Best Film and Best Director from NY Film Critics Circle.

 

https://deadline.com/2018/11/new-york-film-critics-circle-2018-winners-1202510938/

[+ azdr0710]

I get Netflix DVDs by mail.....no streaming....and it ISN'T EVEN LISTED on Netflix (by mail).....what the hell???......

 

many other classic and popular recent movies are "unknown", also........I stay with DVDs by mail because Netflix was notorious for not having many movies available for streaming.......are they ONLY now streaming things?...or what?.....

[+ beethoven]

OK, I'll be the one to say it, and I know I'm in the minority. I didn't like this movie at all. I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, it was too long, and I thought the highly emotional scenes -- in the delivery room, and at the beach at the end of the movie -- were manipulative rather than genuine.

The New Yorker review said that some will find this too clever by half, and some will swoon over it. I didn't swoon.

[TruthBTold]

What is it about? Is there a general narrative? I also get Netflix DVD by mail so it may be awhile for it to appear on the list.

[N13]

HATED this movie. The cinematography is a total rip-off of the Italian cinema of the 1950's and 1960's. The only ones that this can be considered "innovative" by are people who have never seen anything by Fellini, Antonioni, DeSica, Visconti, et.al. Since the vast majority of critics loved the movie and found the cinematography so fresh, I can only assume they are people who have never really researched movies or are 'me too' poseurs.

[Mr.E]

I hated this too. It was full of cinematic cliches, very sad and little plot.

[+ Avalon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_(2018_film)

 

Sounds like a Spanish language updated version of "Hazel" ;-)))

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_(TV_series)

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I think giving the film the name "Roma" was wrong. When I hear "Roma" I think of the glory days of the Roman Empire and not some neighborhood of Mexico City.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Avalon

[TruthBTold]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_(2018_film)

Sounds like a Spanish language updated version of "Hazel" ;-)))

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_(TV_series)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I think giving the film the name "Roma" was wrong. When I hear "Roma" I think of the glory days of the Roman Empire and not some neighborhood of Mexico City.

 

I agree that the name is a mistake. There actually is a movie "Roma" or even worse "Fellini's Roma". If you want to be compared that is a good way to do it.

[LoveNDino]

Oh Roma. I wanted to like you but...

...that's a little over 2 hours of my life that I will never get back.

I am a sucker for long tracking shots, but this movie just exhausted me with them. I thought that car-chase scene in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men was shot masterfully, so this one was a head-scratcher.

Upstairs-Downstairs stories are also catnip for me. But in this movie, my eyes rolled back. Hard.

The acting was worthy of 2 nominations? I respectfully disagree.

I just felt it was very indulgent. Narcissistic, even.

[tchm]

Oh Roma. I wanted to like you but...

...that's a little over 2 hours of my life that I will never get back.

I am a sucker for long tracking shots, but this movie just exhausted me with them. I thought that car-chase scene in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men was shot masterfully, so this one was a head-scratcher.

Upstairs-Downstairs stories are also catnip for me. But in this movie, my eyes rolled back. Hard.

The acting was worthy of 2 nominations? I respectfully disagree.

I just felt it was very indulgent. Narcissistic, even.

 

Thank you for this, LoveNDino. Saved me precious time and money. You just confirmed my gut instinct about this movie.

[+ WilliamM]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_(2018_film)

 

Sounds like a Spanish language updated version of "Hazel" ;-)))

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_(TV_series)

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I think giving the film the name "Roma" was wrong. When I hear "Roma" I think of the glory days of the Roman Empire and not some neighborhood of Mexico City.

 

Perphas you just have a romantically, outsized view of Rome.

[+ Avalon]

Perphas you just have a romantically, outsized view of Rome.

 

True! I have never been anywhere. I have an idealized picture of what Rome, England etc. should be. If I were ever there I'd be disappointed. Now it's too late to visit. All I have is the fantasy.

[+ WilliamM]

True! I have never been anywhere. I have an idealized picture of what Rome, England etc. should be. If I were ever there I'd be disappointed. Now it's too late to visit. All I have is the fantasy.

 

Why did you never visit Rome or England? London is only a six hour flight from the east coast. I did not visit Rome until 2006. But, my first time in Italy was 1973, but just San Remo near Monaco.

[+ Avalon]

Why did you never visit Rome or England? London is only a six hour flight from the east coast. I did not visit Rome until 2006. But, my first time in Italy was 1973, but just San Remo near Monaco.

 

I have no regrets. There would be so much to see I could not fit everything in. I'd be disappointed. But I can visit these places online.

 

Before the internet I'd buy travel guide books. I especially liked the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide ones. Lots of pictures. I have over 50 of them plus others.

 

In 1985 I took my grandmother to Washington DC for 10 days. There was so much I didn't see.

[+ SundayZip]

One movie review said that watching Roma was like watching paint dry. I watched on Netflix streaming yesterday and completely agree. An hour into the movie I started checking the time, hoping it would be over soon. I suppose the cinematography was beautiful, but not beautiful enough to overcome the tedious, plodding story-line.

[+ WilliamM]

I have no regrets. There would be so much to see I could not fit everything in. I'd be disappointed. But I can visit these places online.

 

Before the internet I'd buy travel guide books. I especially liked the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide ones. Lots of pictures. I have over 50 of them plus others.

 

In 1985 I took my grandmother to Washington DC for 10 days. There was so much I didn't see.

 

You have me there. I only remember my maternal grandmother who died when I was five years old. She was 82.

[+ E.T.Bass]

What is it about? Is there a general narrative? I also get Netflix DVD by mail so it may be awhile for it to appear on the list.

I thought it was better than Black Panther (which wasn't bad), but judging by all the comments above, I'm probably alone in that.

 

Takes place in the early 1970s in Mejico City. Beautifully shot and full of symbolism. The themes include how native people continued to be cheated out of their land, how they survive on low wage jobs and how women have gotten the short end of the stick over the decades. The haves don't appreciate and protect what should be more dear to them, including the land they've taken. Political unrest, and violence amplify man's inhumanity to man, and bring tragic consequences. All of that can seem like a chore to watch after 2+ hours, but I still remained a fan of the movie.

 

The story verged on becoming maudlin at a couple points but not nearly as much as Blank Panther seemed to me. The political ideas were more subtle than Black Panther. I think that works better for movies, to keep it subtle, when politics are used as a theme, although the other comments reported it turned out a bit dull. For me, subtle is closer to what's happening on screen.

 

Yalitza Aparicio was perfect in that role as Cleo. I question whether it is the kind of role that brings a Best Actress award. Her dialogue was minimal. Her performance was right on the money.

 

[+ E.T.Bass]

Oh Roma. I wanted to like you but...

...that's a little over 2 hours of my life that I will never get back.

I am a sucker for long tracking shots, but this movie just exhausted me with them. I thought that car-chase scene in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men was shot masterfully, so this one was a head-scratcher.

Upstairs-Downstairs stories are also catnip for me. But in this movie, my eyes rolled back. Hard.

The acting was worthy of 2 nominations? I respectfully disagree.

I just felt it was very indulgent. Narcissistic, even.

 

Directors can be a bit narcissistic sometimes. These creatives can be so tiresome, right? This was Cuaron's Mejico and his childhood. So maybe he did get a little bit too wrapped around his own axel.

 

But we viewers can be perfectionists. I find myself picking apart movies like Black Panther and Call Me by Your Name for pushing the creatives' political ideas when in the end these come across more like the kitchen sink, as if we should accept everything at face value. (Then why put it in the movie?)

 

For Roma, these ideas were well developed. I loved how a tune from Jesus Christ Superstar played on the turntable at the rich folk's party, although I'm sure some would find it too obvious.

 

I read the New Yorker synopsis this morning that mentioned some viewers may find it too calculated by half. Countless others will swoon.

 

I'm a little bit of both.

 

 

Below, Cuaron and his own childhood nanny.

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by E.T.Bass

[LoveNDino]

Directors can be a bit narcissistic sometimes. These creatives can be so tiresome, right? This was Cuaron's Mejico and his childhood. So maybe he did get a little bit too wrapped around his own axel.

 

But we viewers can be perfectionists. I find myself picking apart movies like Black Panther and Call Me by Your Name for pushing the creatives' political ideas when in the end these come across more like the kitchen sink, as if we should accept everything at face value. (Then why put it in the movie?)

 

For Roma, these ideas were well developed. I loved how a tune from Jesus Christ Superstar played on the turntable at the rich folk's party, although I'm sure some would find it too obvious.

 

I read the New Yorker synopsis this morning that mentioned some viewers may find it too calculated by half. Countless others will swoon.

 

I'm a little bit of both.

 

 

Below, Cuaron and his own childhood nanny.

 

I loved your take on it, even as I didn’t share it. I grew up admiring 3rd world cinema where the personal is either intertwined or releflective of the socio-political condition of the time.

I get what he was doing. I even admire his cinematography - I understand the beach scene near the end was very difficult to shoot. But one has to wonder, if he had Chivo to shoot it, and someone else to rein in his script, would it have been more successful?

And perhaps it’s a matter of taste, but Yalitza’s (Cleo) acting seem amateurish to me, as were the kids. The mom, I liked, but not enough to warrant a nomination, in my humble opinion.

Let me say, I admire Alfonso Cuaron. He is my favorite among the Three Amigos. His Harry Potter is the best of the bunch, and I didn’t think the whole franchise would have been successful without his correction of Christopher Columbus’ mishandling of the first 2. I just don’t think this is his best.

[+ easygoingpal]

I liked the movie and I am biased towards the subject matter... I was living in Guadalajara Mexico in the early 70's and am familiar with a lot of the movie cliches as I lived through them... The maids/Nanas doing laundry on the roof "azotea" and the old style TV antennas. The narrow garages where you could barely fit a Ford Galaxy. The washing of the dog's "caca" with a bucket of water and an broom "escoba". The guys on the street offering to sharpen knives or sell you baked sweet plantain/bananas. The treatment of the "inditas" maids by the rich adults and how their children at a very early age don't see the class differences. The student movement against the government that left a lot of mothers wondering whether their teenage sons were dead or incarcerated. The influence of Anglo-Americans in the Mexican culture and the knowledge of a different and perhaps better way of living... Seeing the movie by someone who lived in Mexico during those times makes a difference from my point of view, but again it makes me biased towards it. Abrazos...!