Our take
Alfonso Cuaron is a master storyteller, Academy Award-winning director, and the man behind masterpieces such as Y Tu Mamá También, Gravity, Children of Men, and perhaps more importantly, the (uncontested) best Harry Potter movie (Prisoner of Azkaban, of course). In Roma, he tells a different story. His own.
Building on events from his childhood, he tells the story of a young domestic worker in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood. You get tales of class struggle, family dynamics, and sexism in 1970s Mexico City.
The first hour is slow but so beautiful. All it does is prepare you for the events to come, and those who stick it out will be handsomely awarded.
This is a stunning, wise and deeply personal movie. It’s everything we should ever ask from filmmakers at their prime.
What it won
Goya Awards
4 noms
The story
In 1970s Mexico City, two domestic workers help a mother of four while her husband is away for an extended period of time.
Elsewhere
"It is the clarity of Cuarón's eye, and the sea-like sway of his remembrance, that compel you to trust the tale he tells."
— Anthony Lane
"Roma is the sort of movie that successful pop filmmakers say they'd like to use their clout to make but almost never do."
— Nick Pinkerton
The details
Amores Perros
Alejandro G. Iñárritu & Alejandro González Iñárritu
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Chantal Akerman
Little Children
Todd Field
Open Your Eyes
Alejandro Amenábar
Rosetta
Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
All About My Mother
Pedro Almodóvar
Bait
Mark Jenkin
Private Life
Tamara Jenkins
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
