This part of the blog was written Monday night, February 24th :
Tonight I finally saw "Roma"(2018), the semi-autobiographical tale of Alfonso Cuaron's childhood in Mexico City, which won him a Best Director Oscar last year. You'd think a film as highly lauded as this one would've had a swift release on dvd, but that was not the case. It only came out this week, over a year later! I reserved it a while back, though, so I was among the first in line for a library copy, and this evening I walked down to Northridge Libe to pick it up.
I'm guessing you've seen it? Well, I start describing it anyway, and you can tell me if I should stop. Actually, maybe I'll just give some of my general impressions of the film instead, as I did recently with "1917" or some other picture I assumed you'd seen. Firstly, as I started watching and got about thirty minutes in, I thought "oh wow......this is gonna be yet another slice-of-life movie about a family, our third in a row"! I was enjoying it, but there didn't seem to be much happening for a while. What kept me hooked was the wide screen black and white photography, which was spectacular and (nearly) on the level of Antonioni.
I have to step in here to inform you that we still haven't been given an answer as to why he needed the extra "oni" in his name. I mean, we asked this question quite a while ago now, so I think it's only fair to expect a response. I've no idea why the delay, and I'm only wondering why "Antoni" would not have sufficed for a last name, and why he (or his parents) felt compelled to repeat the final syllable. It would be similar to a fictional "Mr. Johnson", say, calling himself "Mr. Johnsononson". And hey! Wait a minute. Wasn't this practice mocked in "A Fish Called Wanda"? Ahh yes, when Kevin Kline introduced himself as "Mr. Manfrengensen".
I'll drop the matter, for the moment at least, but in bringing up Antonioni as the yardstick by which all black and white art photography should be measured, I was reminded about the unanswered question surrounding his name. I assure you that we'll keep working to clarify the situation. Simply remind me if I lapse in that regard.
Returning to the movie, as the story began to pick up steam, I thought that Cleo the maid represented Cuaron's mother, to whom the movie was said to be a tribute. Especially when Cleo became pregnant I thought it would result in the birth of little Alfonso the future Oscar winner. I was massively wrong on that front, but I'd just figured that since Cleo was the protaginist, that she must represent his mother. I guess I should've noticed the hint in the inclusion of the space film "Marooned", which the sons of Cleo's employer go to see at the theater. "Kids" of my age, haha, will remember "Marooned" as a take off on the expulsion scene in "2001". That movie is not well known now, but was remarked upon at the time for it's technical excellence. I remember that my parents saw it. Young Alfonso Cuaron did too, and it made enough of an impression on him that he made "Gravity" 42 years later. This should have alerted me that he was Sophia's child and not Cleo's, but I was too wrapped up in the developing story to notice.
Once the story started moving forward, I was riveted. I remembered the Mexico City riots being in the news at that time. The scene in the department store is terrifying. Cuaron captures the street scene in the city in grand detail, there are so many little actions happening in every frame. It's exactly as your eyes would capture the view if you were there yourself, scanning back and forth, seeing things on the periphery. Cuaron is so good at tracking shots. Another scene that was very effective was Cleo's walk into the ocean near the end. I'll omit further description in case you haven't seen the movie, but the way her tracks her, as the waves crash against her from the opposite direction, was ingenious and "pulled you in" as she is being pulled by the rip tide. His bio says that young Cuaron was given a camera at age 12 and began filming everything in sight, and it shows. I know he's not the actual cameraman on the picture, but you can bet he helped create every last shot, and it's the photography above all that makes "Roma" a near masterpiece. I say "near" because, again, it does take a little long for things to develop, but once they do, it's as great an art film as you'll ever see (right down to the ever shifting but endless supply of dog doo in the parkway, lol). Gross, but funny.
Two Huge Thumbs Up for "Roma", therefore. Cuaron may be my favorite among The Three Amigos, who have made an astonishing number of great films in the last 15 years. ////
It is now Tuesday Afternoon, which is appropriate because I am on a big Moody Blues kick. My album for last night was "A Question Of Balance", which is every bit as good as "Children's Children".
Elizabeth, I love Sophie the dog! Is she yours, or does she belong to someone from the oil change shop? Oh man.....she reminds me of my Alice, who we were blessed to have (along with her daughter Trixie) back in the 1990s. Labs rule! I sure hope I'll be in a position to have another one, one of these days. Well, on the off chance that Sophie is yours, give her a hug from me, and a pat on the head. Or, if she belongs to the shop, you can just wait until your next oil change. :)
I am gonna head out now, first to Rite Aid to pick up a prescription for Pearl, then up to Aliso for a quick hike. I'll see you tonight at the Usual Time!
Tons of love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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