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Roma (2018 film)

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Roma
File:Romaposter2.jpg
Official release poster
Directed byAlfonso Cuarón
Written byAlfonso Cuarón
Produced by
  • Alfonso Cuarón
  • Gabriela Rodriguez
  • Nicolas Celis
Starring
Cinematography
  • Alfonso Cuarón
Edited by
  • Alfonso Cuarón
  • Adam Gough
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • August 30, 2018 (2018-08-30) (Venice)
  • November 21, 2018 (2018-11-21) (United States)
Running time
135 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Mexico
  • United States
Languages
Budget$15 million[2]
Box office$900,000[3]

Roma is a 2018 drama film written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Cuarón also co-produced, co-edited and photographed the film. It stars Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Enoc Leaño and Daniel Valtierra. Set in the early 1970s, the film is a semi-autobiographical take on Cuarón's upbringing in Mexico City, and follows the life of a live-in housekeeper to a middle-class family. The title refers to the Colonia Roma district of the city.[4]

Roma film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2018, where it won the Golden Lion. It began a limited theatrical run on November 21, 2018, and started streaming on Netflix on December 14, 2018.[5][6] The film was acclaimed by critics, who called it "achingly beautiful" and "engrossing", and was chosen by Time magazine and the New York Film Critics Circle as the best film of 2018, and by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten best films of 2018.[7][8] At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, it earned a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and has been selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.[9][10].

Plot

The film's events take place in 1970 and 1971, predominantly in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Cleo (named after the Cléo character in Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7) is a maid in the household of Sofia. Sofia's household consists of her husband Antonio, their four young children, Sofia's mother, Teresa, and another maid, Adela. Antonio, a doctor, leaves for a conference in Quebec. Among scenes of Cleo's life with the family – her cleaning, cooking, taking the kids to and from school, serving them meals, putting the kids to bed and waking them up – it becomes clear that Sofia and Antonio's marriage is strained. After a brief return, Antonio leaves again, saying he is going to Quebec for a few weeks.

In their time off, Cleo and Adela go out with their boyfriends, Fermín and Ramón, to the theater. At the entrance, Cleo and Fermín decide to rent a room instead of seeing the movie. Fermín, while naked, shows off his martial arts skill using the shower curtain rod as a pole. At another date, both couples meet in a movie theater, where Cleo tells Fermín that she thinks she is pregnant. As the movie is about to end, Fermín says he is going to the rest room and will be back, but then does not return and is nowhere to be found when Cleo goes outside. Cleo reveals the same concern to Sofia, who takes her to get checked at the hospital where Antonio works. The doctor there confirms her pregnancy.

Sofia takes Cleo, Adela, and her children to a family friend's hacienda for New Year's. Both the landowners and the workers mention recent tensions over land in the area. During the celebrations, a fire erupts in the forest. Everyone helps put out the fire as a man counts down the remaining seconds of 1970 before singing in the foreground.

Back in the city, Cleo accompanies the children and their grandmother to another movie theater as Antonio is seen rushing in the other direction with a young woman. Sofia tries to hide Antonio's departure from the children, but her older son learns of it by eavesdropping in on a phone conversation. She asks him to not tell his younger siblings who believe their father is still away on business in Canada.

Through Adela's boyfriend, Cleo finds Fermín at an outdoor martial arts training class, but he refuses to acknowledge that the baby is his and threatens her to never look for him again. Teresa takes Cleo shopping for a crib for her baby as students protest in the streets. As they are browsing in the furniture store, the protests below turn murderous between police clubbings, while bands of roving youths, implied to be the paramilitary group Los Halcones, randomly shoot at protesters. When a wounded man and a woman run into the store trying to hide, several youths find the man and kill him with a gunshot as the shop patrons take cover. Another gunman pointing a gun at Cleo turns out to be Fermín, who glares momentarily before running off with the other youths. Just then, Cleo's water breaks.

Cleo, Teresa, and their driver try to get to the hospital quickly but are impeded by violence in the streets and car traffic. Cleo is taken into the delivery room. Antonio comes by to reassure her, but makes an excuse to avoid staying with her. The doctors hear no heartbeat in Cleo's womb and take her into surgery, where they deliver a stillborn baby girl. Multiple attempts to resuscitate the infant fail. The doctors give the body to Cleo for a few moments before taking it away.

After a drunken attempt to park the family Ford Galaxie in the narrow garage area, Sofia buys a narrower car, but plans a final trip in the Galaxie for a family holiday to the beaches at Tuxpan, taking Cleo to help her cope with her loss. Sofia tells the children over dinner that she and their father are separated and that the trip is so their father can collect his belongings from their home. At the beach, the two smaller children are almost carried off by the strong current until Cleo wades into the ocean to save them from drowning even though she herself does not know how to swim. As Sofia and the children affirm their love for Cleo for such selfless devotion, she breaks down from intense guilt, revealing that she had not wanted her baby. They return to their house, with the bookshelves gone and various bedrooms reassigned. Cleo prepares a load of washing, telling Adela she has much to tell her, as a plane flies overhead.

Cast

  • Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo
  • Marina de Tavira as Sofia
  • Fernando Grediaga as Antonio
  • Jorge Antonio Guerrero as Fermín
  • Marco Graf as Pepe
  • Daniela Demesa as Sofi
  • Diego Cortina Autrey as Toño
  • Carlos Peralta as Paco
  • Nancy García as Adela
  • Verónica García as Teresa, Sofia's mother
  • José Manuel Guerrero Mendoza as Ramón
  • Latin Lover as Professor Zovek

Production

On September 8, 2016, it was announced that Alfonso Cuarón would write and direct a project focusing on a Mexican family living in Mexico City in the 1970s. Production was set to begin in fall 2016.[11] The film was produced by Cuarón, Gabriela Rodríguez, and Nicolás Celis. Roma was shot in sequence, which Yalitza Aparicio, who plays Cleo, said helped her. She was most terrified by the near-drowning scene on the beach, as she--like her character--could not swim.[12]

Set incident

On November 3, 2016 it was revealed that the crew was robbed on set during filming.[13] According to the studio, "two women were hit, five crew members were hospitalized, and cellphones, wallets, and jewelry were stolen" during the attack.[14] The crew reportedly arrived to set up filming for the day when a group of city workers approached the crew and tried to shut down filming.[15] The crew stated they had permission to film, but the workers persisted and a brawl broke out between the groups.[16]

Release

In April 2018, it was announced Netflix had acquired distribution rights to the film.[17] The film's teaser trailer, which runs for one minute and shows water flowing repeatedly over tiles with washing sounds in the background, was released on July 25, 2018 by Cuarón through his Twitter account.[18]

The film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2018.[19] It made its North American debut the next day at the Telluride Film Festival.[20][21] The film also played at the Toronto International Film Festival, beginning on September 10,[22] and the Orcas Island Film Festival, on October 8, 2018. It was screened at the San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 27, 2018, the New York Film Festival on October 5, 2018, and the 29th New Orleans Film Festival as the Centerpiece Film on October 22, 2018.[23][24][25] The film was also shown as part of the Orange County Film Fiesta, at the AMC 30 in Orange, California on October 27, as well as as one of AFI Fest's Special Screenings at the Egyptian Theatre on November 10.

The film was released at independent theatres in Mexico on November 21. However the Cinépolis and Cinemex chains refused as they demanded a longer exclusivity window than what Netflix offered.[26]

Reception

Box office

While Netflix has not publicly disclosed box office figures for Roma, insider sources deduced the film made $90,000–120,000 in its opening weekend, November 23-25, and a total of $200,000 over the five-day Thanksgiving frame, including selling out theaters in Los Angeles and New York City. Had the results been officially reported, its approximate venue average of $66,600 would have ranked amongst the best ever for a foreign film.[27][28] In its second weekend of theatrical release, the film expanded to 17 theaters. IndieWire estimated the film grossed $110,000 from four of them, including selling out in San Francisco, and that the film would "easily be the best grossing subtitled film" of 2018.[29] In its third weekend, the film made another estimated $500,000 from 100 theaters, for a running total of $900,000.[3]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Roma holds an approval rating of 97% based on more than 200 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Roma finds writer-director Alfonso Cuarón in complete, enthralling command of his visual craft – and telling the most powerfully personal story of his career."[30] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 96 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[31]

At the Toronto International Film Festival, the film was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award.[32] The film also won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.[33]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Roma

See also

References

  1. ^ "Roma". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  2. ^ Thompson, Anne (14 September 2018). "TIFF 2018 Winners and Losers: Timothée Chalamet Shines, 'Roma' Wows, Xavier Dolan Flops". IndieWire. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Brueggemann, Tom (12 December 2018). "'Mary Queen of Scots' Leads Limited Openers, 'Amazing Grace' Wows New York". IndieWire. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  4. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (30 August 2018). "Roma review: Alfonso Cuarón returns to Venice – and Mexico – for a heart-rending triumph". Retrieved 6 December 2018 – via www.theguardian.com.
  5. ^ Anderson, Ariston (25 July 2018). "Venice to Kick Off Awards Season With New Films From Coen Brothers, Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuaron". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (25 July 2018). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Heavy on Award Hopefuls, Netflix and Star Power". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  7. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (15 November 2018). "The Top 10 Movies of 2018". Time. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  8. ^ Kelle Long (31 August 2018). "Review Roundup: Critics Hail the Breathtaking Beauty of Roma". Motion Picture Association of America. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Roma, la película de Cuarón en español y mixteco, representará a México en los Óscar y los Goya". SinEmbargo. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  10. ^ Hecht, John (14 September 2018). "Oscars: Mexico Selects 'Roma' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  11. ^ Kroll, Justin (8 September 2016). "Alfonso Cuaron Sets Mexican Family Drama as Next Film". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  12. ^ Kristopher Tapley, "‘Roma’ Actress Yalitza Aparicio on the Challenge of Playing Alfonso Cuarón’s Real-Life Nanny." Variety, n.d., 2018. [1]
  13. ^ Evans, Alan (3 November 2016). "Alfonso Cuarón film crew 'attacked and robbed' in Mexico City". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  14. ^ Jones, Julia (3 November 2016). "Alfonso Cuarón film crew says Mexico City workers attacked them". CNN Americas. CNN. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Cesan a funcionario de la Cuauhtémoc tras agresión al equipo de Cuarón". Revista Proceso. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Personal de la Cuauhtémoc agrede a staff de Alfonso Cuarón". El Economista. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  17. ^ Keegan, Rebecca; Sperling, Nicole (6 April 2018). "Netflix Threatens to Pull Five Films from Cannes". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  18. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (25 July 2018). "'ROMA': Alfonso Cuaron Shares First Look At Venice-Bound Personal Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  19. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (25 July 2018). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Welles, Coen Brothers, Cuaron, Greengrass, More – Live". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  20. ^ Tapley, Kristopher (30 August 2018). "'First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  21. ^ "45th Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. The National Film Preserve. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  22. ^ Vlessing, Etan (24 July 2018). "Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Roma | New Orleans Film Society". neworleansfilmsociety.org. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  24. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (14 August 2018). "Damien Chazelle's 'First Man', Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma', Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' Head To San Sebastian Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  25. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (18 July 2018). "Alfonso Cuarón's 'ROMA' Set As New York Film Festival Centerpiece". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  26. ^ Cuarón, Netflix, Cinépolis y Cinemex: el lío del estreno de 'Roma' - Expansión, 22 November 2018
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (25 November 2018). "Netflix's 'Roma' Makes Estimated $200K In 5-day Thanksgiving Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  28. ^ McClintock, Pamela (25 November 2018). "Box Office: Netflix's 'Roma' Opens Strong in Limited Release, Say Experts". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  29. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (2 December 2018). "'The Favourite' and 'Roma' Continue to Pull Arthouse Audiences". IndieWire. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  30. ^ "Roma (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  31. ^ "Roma Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  32. ^ "TIFF 2018 Awards: ‘Green Book’ Wins the People's Choice Award, Upsetting ‘A Star Is Born’". IndieWire, 16 September 2018.
  33. ^ Nordine, Michael (8 September 2018). "Venice Film Festival Awards: 'Roma' Wins the Golden Lion as 'The Favourite' Lives Up to Its Name". IndieWire. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
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