Roma

As someone who grew up with a single mother and a nanny/maid, I find Roma to be a rich analysis of the class system and the relationship between the matriarch and the maid.  Sure, I picked up on it in the previous watches. But it really stuck out like a sore thumb in this rewatch, how Cleo is considered as family but not really. The kids tell her they love her, only to have her make a shake immediately afterwards. She wipes down the receiving end of the telephone after she uses it, she gets to eat ice cream with the family, yes, but she is the only one standing as the family is sat on a bench. Those subtleties were so glaringly sad to me. I just hope I made my ate Lyn and my ate Mercy feel so welcome, because I really did consider them as family. Ate Lyn was like my older sister, while ate Mercy acted like another parental figure as she greatly assisted my mom in raising me.  My mom, a single breadwinner, worked so hard to provide for us. To give me the childhood she never had. I am so grateful she is my mom, and words are not enough to fully express how much I love her. Seeing the mom Sofia in this movie felt like I was seeing my own mom’s lived experiences on-screen. The devastation, the marathon struggles, the uncertainty. All of it my mom endured, and I’m certain most women did too. This film is such a tender portrayal of women. Yes, change is scary, but I think Cuaron’s reassurance that change can be endured as long as we’re together was more than welcome. It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles, and that there is indeed strength in numbers.  I am also a big fan of the direction. Cuaron captures the titular place in such vivid life, despite the black & white. The absence of color is made up for by the abundance of sound. Sound is an integral part of this film. The film was a fully realized work of art, thanks to the chanting in streets, the street vendors’ desperate pleas, and the hustle & bustle of Roma. I like watching this every after school year. I still cried, particularly only at the scene of Cleo giving birth though. The movie is such a healing and fulfilling work of art that nourishes my soul; truly my most favorite film. This was already said by me last year, but thank you, Alfonso Cuaron, for making Roma.