Roma

Ein Autorenfilm, der von zarten Sachen im Leben mehr durch eine künstlerische Bildgestaltung als mithilfe der Gesichter von Figuren und ihrer Dialoge erzählt. Mit den Dialogen und Gesichtsausdrücken arbeitet er auch (und Yalitza Aparicio ist ausgezeichnet), es ist jedoch keine universell ansprechende, traditionell emotionale Aussage (der Film hat auch keine Originalmusik, welche die Zuschauer*innen "manipulieren“ würde). Cuarón wollte sich nach der Nutzung seines außergewöhnlichen Talents beim ausgesprochen kommerziellen Film Gravity in ein pures Filmemacher-Vergnügen begeben, ohne auf Verpflichtungen gegenüber dem Studio achten zu müssen. Roma ist eine brillante Filmarbeit, die ich bei jeder Aufnahme bewundert (drei bis vier Szenen fand ich ziemlich beunruhigend) und alle ihre sozialen Hinweise wahrgenommen und anerkannt habe (eine Klassengesellschaft, eine außergewöhnlich starke Frau mit einem schweren Schicksal). Die Emotionen waren aber nicht wie bei Gravity oder Children of Men. (07.02.2019)

Roma isn’t love at first sight, it’s not a film that would hook me in the first minutes keep me hooked all the way till the end. But, after two or three days, it did grow on me. Cuarón this time delivers a detached view into a couple of months of the life of a broken Mexican family, mainly that of their maid, Cleo. The story takes place in a sort of by the way manner, with the camera following relative “non-stories”. But each of those fragments compose a surprisingly rich mosaic of human destinies and by the end the viewer must acknowledge that a lot has actually happened. The similarities with Czech films that in the microcosm of one family tell wider stories with a universal reach are not entirely out of place. Watching it in the cinema is certainly worth it, the camera work and, in particular, the sound are top-notch. One of the films of the year. #svetozorcinema (16.12.2018)

Netflix once again proves that it doesn’t limit itself to commercially successful titles, but is also happy to fulfil the dreams of directors who deserve it. There is no doubt that Alfonso Cuarón is one of the greatest directors of the decade. As many people have mentioned already, Roma is his most personal project, which means that those 135 minutes pass by very slowly and quietly, and I found some moments slightly boring… but because everything is shot in such a brilliant way, referring to the best filmmakers of the last century, this film shouldn’t be ignored. (31.12.2018)

The best works of the Czechoslovak new wave (although Fellini would know one in that) has just grown to include a related Mexican cousin, who in the circles of “more demanding" viewers can perhaps not even evoke many captivating Mexican waves. Which is so telling that I will forgive the originally intended hymns for every single aspect, from non-actors through filming and sounding to the sophistication of the narrative, which completely fulfills the saying “the devil is hidden in the details". What Cuarón, as a screenwriter / cinematographer / director, can “as if inadvertently" do in mise-en-scène (or purely noise outside the picture) in mere hints, is more than admirable. To make matters worse, despite the seemingly primordial coldness, this “celebration of ordinary strong women in our lives" is also captivating and arousing emotions like a few movies in recent years. Roma looks like a film that was five decades earlier. However, thanks to its qualities, it would not be forgotten, even if it was actually created fifty years ago. On the contrary, it would be lovingly remembered in the intentions “such master pieces are unfortunately no longer filmed today". Thanks to Cuarón, however, this is not the case; and for that one must be infinitely grateful, whether ultimately Roma is his cup of coffee or not. (15.12.2018)

The rumors didn't lie, at least not in terms of paying tribute to mothers and women in general. However, at the core of the whole epic, there is nothing but confirmation of the known truth that, in the end, the fairer sex is stronger and more prepared for life. The skill with which Alfonso Cuarón builds a complex dramatic arc in the midst of what seems to be an ordinary situation is undeniable. The only problem for me, one that persists throughout the entire film, is the way the twists are delivered. Very few things bother me as much as when a character indulges in long, uninterrupted shots during an instantly induced depression. It's nothing more than a call for artificial attention that causes the cohesion of family and life's upheavals to crumble before my eyes. (17.12.2018)

I feel like I have to like Roma if I want to consider myself a film connoisseur. I'm not even close to being one. I'm just a casual viewer. I watch movies that I assume I might enjoy, or ones I want to see if I might happen to enjoy. This movie was in the latter group. I found the answer. I didn't much enjoy Roma. It was too "artsy" and lethargic for me. What I can't deny this film, however, is the atmosphere and the interesting cinematography. The film certainly has other bonuses, but unfortunately I can't appreciate them properly, at least not yet. (24.03.2019)

A normal viewer who seeks spectacle and entertainment while watching movies will most likely be unimpressed by Roma. However, I think that for festivalgoers and a club audience, the film will represent the embodiment of what an artistic film should be. It was filmed in a similar manner as in the 60s and 70s when authorial and autobiographical works were in their prime and enlightened producers invested in them without hesitation. It was a time when directors commonly cast non-actors, and Cuarón does the same here. He is not afraid of improvisation, and the same goes for the Mexican directorial star. Roma feels genuine and authentic. Granted, I am not an expert, but the atmosphere of Mexico City in the early 70s seems perfect to me, as well as the casting. Cuarón must have paid maximum attention to the casting, and Yalitza Aparicio does not play the role of a servant, she simply is one. Devoted, resigned to her position, slightly naive, intoxicated by her first sexual adventure, and confused by the subsequent indifference. Her presence and precise camera work are the director's greatest weapons. The black and white visuals refer to the era of European art film of the 50s and 60s. In many shots, it felt as if I was watching a documentary from that time in the Mexican capital. Thanks to the monumental visual compositions, Roma should be seen on a big screen, which I managed to do after a long search. I would even dare to say that it loses a significant amount of impact on a small screen. It is a slowly flowing intimate film that, although not feminist in nature, mostly depicts the world and emotions of women. Overall impression: 85%. (30.11.2020)

A singular expression of emotion primarily through the camera, instead of dialogue and music. A unique directorial achievement in uncompromising black and white, non-mainstream, with overlong camera shots and some brilliantly staged sequences (the birth). An ode to art filmmaking and a myriad of technical finesse, but, save a few exceptions, you won't hear a single full-blooded heartbeat. (20.04.2019)

Die unglaubliche Kraft von diesem Film entspringt meiner Meinung nach aus drei Dingen. Der erste Aspekt ist eine eigentlich ganz gewöhnliche Geschichte einer ganz normalen Hauptheldin, die aber dank ihrer Gewöhnlichkeit dokumentarisch authentisch, persönlich und hundertprozentig wirkungsvoll ist. Der zweite Aspekt ist – ohne zu übertreiben – die meisterhafte Regie von Alfonso Cuarón. Das muss man wirklich sehen. Fast von jeder Aufnahme könnte man ein perfektes künstlerisches Foto machen. Alles ist bis ins kleinste Detail durchdacht und die Schwarzweißkamera macht daraus mit der fleißigen Hilfe vom Ton (Vieles sieht man überhaupt nicht, man hört es nur) eine Augenweide (z. B. aus der monumentalen Szene des Waldbrandes). Der dritte Aspekt ist die "Zusammenarbeit“ von Geschichte und Darbietung – alles ist natürlich, die langen Kamerafahrten und die statischen Aufnahmen lenken die Aufmerksamkeit nicht davon ab, was gerade passiert. Es ergänzt sich schön und bildet eine Einheit. Von Roma habe ich ursprünglich etwas wie Tornatores Der Zauber von Malèna erwartet. Es ist aber ein ganz anderer Film, er ist auf eine völlig andere Art und Weise toll. Und z. B. die Szenen in der Entbindungsstation oder am Strand… So etwas vergisst man einfach nicht. (29.12.2018)

Roma will not chew the viewer and make them bite their nails in tension, nor does it reminisce the type of ode to human suffering sung by the unfortunate protagonists of, for instance, Bicycle Thieves. And yet it is beautiful. It’s a film about emotions so real that in the cinema I felt a chill on my spine every time I remembered I was just watching a film. A sensitively slow narrative where the consequences are not as important as experiencing the present and empathy towards the main character. The style reflects that – the long shots and the impressive depth of the composition of the scenes, whose staging and sound design let the viewer wander in that space together with the characters to fully savour the emotions that the narration carefully prepares and foreshadows (the closing cleanse in the sea). Even though I didn’t feel the coveted cinephile bliss, I fell in love with Roma for its authentic portrayal of human togetherness and for its world, which can be inhospitable, unpredictable and loving at the same time. The direction and the cinematography are awesome. (19.12.2018)

Roma wirft zunächst einen sehr langsamen, manchmal fast dokumentarisch anmutenden Blick in den Alltag des Dienstmädchens und der Familie, für die sie arbeitet, während in der Mitte die Atmosphäre des Films zu brechen scheint, an Schärfe und emotionalen und spannungsgeladenen Szenen gewinnt, um am Ende wieder in Ruhe zu schließen. Ich persönlich hätte die erste Hälfte des Films etwas gekürzt, weil mir einige Einstellungen und Szenen zu lang vorkamen, aber ich verstehe, dass es für Cuarón ein sehr persönlicher und wesentlicher Teil des Films war, dank dem das typische Kolorit des Mexikos der 70er Jahre von allen Seiten strahlen konnte. Die Protagonistin Cleo hat es nicht leicht im Leben, aber sie versucht wie eine Löwin, mit aller Kraft gegen die Widrigkeiten anzukämpfen und macht einen sehr starken Eindruck - Yalitza Aparicio spielte ihre Rolle wirklich überzeugend. Die Kinderdarsteller, oder besser gesagt ihre Figuren, haben mir das Blut in den Adern gefrieren lassen, und die Figur des Fermin gewinnt den Preis für den egoistischsten Feigling und ****** des Jahrhunderts. Ich darf nicht vergessen, die Kameraführung und das Bühnenbild zu loben - nämlich die vielen sehr plastischen Szenen, die mit mehreren Plänen gleichzeitig arbeiten. Trotz eines schwer verdaulichen Anfangs bietet Roma eine Reihe starker Szenen - siehe "Das Feuer in der Silvesternacht", "Die Geburt" oder "Atemholen in den Wellen" - und der Film zeigt große Leidenschaft des Regisseurs. Infolgedessen bin ich zwischen drei und vier Sternen, aber in diesem Fall werde ich mehr geben. P. S. Cuarón mag offensichtlich Flugzeugaufnahmen! (24.04.2020)

A very weak 4 stars. Alas, Cuarón is getting old, too; so after the famous Gravity (where his directorial inventiveness was pretty damn palpable) he chose very personal material, through which he may very well have wanted to heal his childhood traumas or simply look back nostalgically at his childhood. Personally, I have nothing against a filmmaker using the medium of film as a means of meditation or therapy. Richard Linklater, Oliver Stone, and Steven Spielberg are proof that it is possible to make a deeply personal film that is both audience-appealing and powerfully emotional. I of course get that the emotional flatness of Roma is deliberate from the start. And I understand that Alfonso Cuarón was trying to style himself a biased observer rather than an inventive director. Unfortunately, I can't quite identify with his creative intent. That's probably why I missed the general hype. But it is undoubtedly quality filmmaking and the composition of some shots is very impressive. It just didn't grab me the way I imagined it would. (10.02.2019)

I had been thinking for a long time about how exactly to describe or evaluate this masterpiece, but in certain cases, words just won’t do justice. At first, I was suspecting Cuarón of setting up an artsy trap for me with some would-be deeper level of meaning, but over time it became more than clear to me that Netflix had sent out another extraordinary work into the world. Every detail of the film, although seemingly commonplace, is absolutely flawless and technically refined, and even if I had any doubts left about the uniqueness of this film, the scene in the maternity hospital will probably be etched in my memory forever, emotionally taking this film to a whole new level. Masterful direction, a masterpiece of a film, what more could I ask for? (28.01.2019)