Roma Criterion Blu-ray Review
Alfonso Cuarón is in top form with “Roma.”
“Roma” revolves around a live-in maid (Cleo) working for a middle-class family comprised of a husband/father (Antonio), wife/mother (Sofia), and 4 children. There’s not a traditional story here, but instead we (the audience) get a day-in-the-life glimpse into Cleo’s life. Among the storylines that play out here include a pregnancy, marital woes between Antonio and Sofia, a hacienda, a scumbag martial arts obsessed lover of Cleo (Fermin), a political protest, Cleo’s friendship with the other live-in maid Adela, and a family beach trip.
For some viewers “Roma” may be a meandering bore, but to others like myself it’s a moving tale of a woman trying to maintain order in her work and in her own life amidst a sea of change and chaos. The artfully made film about the struggles of everyday life in 1970s Mexico City is clearly a very personal film for Alfonso Cuarón who directed, wrote, shot, and co-edited the feature. Every frame is so detailed and full of life. This is truly Cuarón at his best and that’s saying something given his body of work.
The cast only strengthens Cuarón’s visionary work. Yalitza Aparicio (Cleo) and Marina de Tavira (Sofia) are the heart of the film and it was a great and welcome surprise to see that they received Academy Award nominations for their work last year. To say it was well deserved is an understatement.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? The 4K digital master offers up a glorious B&W transfer. It doesn’t get much better than this, folks.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? To no surprise, this Atmos track delivers. Every sound has such an impact here.
Extras:
* A giant booklet featuring credits, photos, essays by author Valeria Luiselli and historian Enrique Krauze, a tweet thread by poet/critic Aurelio Adiain, a piece on the production design by Eugenio Caballero
* A trailer and a teaser for “Roma.”
* “Roma Brings Us Together: The Theatrical Tour In Mexico”- An 18 minute featurette on the film’s release in Mexico.
* “The Postproduction Process”- A 2 part extra on the look and sound of “Roma.”
* “Snapshots From The Set”- An insightful 32 minute documentary with cast and crew interviews, discussions about working with Alfonso, and loads of set footage.
* “Road To Roma”- A 72 minute behind-the-scenes documentary of Cuarón at work that also includes his personal thoughts.
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