Roma

[Drunk Monk]

For the filmmakers among us here (Greg & cf - looking at youse two) this is a must see. This should get the Oscar for cinematography. Cuarón gets b&w and sets up some technically staggering shots, long complex pans that arrive with such precise timing yet feel so natural. It’s a mundane tale of a family in multiple crises in Mexico told mostly from the viewpoint of the maid. There’s a martial arts angle that will force me to rewrite my Fast Forward to the Fight Scenes column, which I just finished last week so cf could copy edit it before Peru. It’s a bit of an existential tale, set against revolution in the streets, and it moves slowly, taking its time to reveal its story. It’s a good story, very human, portrayed by average actors who feel very real, but what truly shines is how it is shot.

There’s an intensely visceral scene nearing the end, played out in one long continuous shot like so many shots in this film. If you’ve ever tried to film anything, Roma’s camera work will constantly impress. I kept wondering how Cuarón set up so many shots here. His eye for composition and his sense of the long pan are pure genius. 

It took me a while to figure out that the general subtitles were for Spanish and the bracketed [ square brackets ] subtitles were oaxacan (I think). The two different languages add a level of complexity to the dialog.

[cranefly]

I've been salivating a bit over this one, but decided to wait until we get back from Peru, as right now I couldn't give it my full attention.  And I want to try to talk LC into watching it too.

Thanks for the confirmation that it's a biggie.

[Drunk Monk]

It’s a filmmaker’s film. Non-filmmakers may find it overrated. All the more reason why it’ll likely do well at the oscars.

[Drunk Monk]

Roma (1972) aka Fellini's Roma

We were looking to see some Rome and reminisce, and there is some of that, but that's not what this is at all. I confess that I still don't quite get Fellini. 

That being said, there's some mind blowing stuff in this film. It's a love letter to Rome. It's very noisy in that boisterous Italian way. Some of the shots are absolutely brilliant like the woman in the tunnel during the air raid. Some are funny like the theater show. Some are gut punches like the two whorehouse selection scenes and the fresco chamber subway tunneling discovery. And some are so deliciously surreal like the Catholic fashion show. It's just so ... Fellini. 

There's hardly a narrative, just a series of episodic vignettes, loosely tied connected by Rome. It's somewhat autobiographical as the main followable character is someone playing a young Fellini. And it's self-mocking as there's a scenes devoted to the crew making the film. Gore Vidal has a weird cameo. I was getting lost and distracted when that Catholic fashion show hit, and then I was captivated for the remainder of the film. 

Needed a sword fight. I'd say DOOM recommended but I imagine many of you have seen this already. It was the first time for me (at least as far as I can remember).