This movie is one of the most powerful films you’ll ever watch. I heard about it through friends and downloaded it to watch on the plane. It was the perfect place to watch it because it makes you get into it - I’ll explain.
Roma is the name of one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Mexico City. This movie depicts a well-to-do family in the 1970s and their relationship with each other, between the two indigenous maids that work for them - particularly Cleo and her love interest with her boyfriend, Fermín. During the film, we see how Cleo’s story unfolds and how her choices impact her future, particularly near the end of the film. We go through the trials and tribulations with both her and the family she works for, learning that love does triumph overall.
The film is in black and white and starts off quite slowly, which is why it’s good to be in a spot where you are patient because once the story unfolds, you’ll be glad you stuck with it. There are a lot of very difficult scenes to watch and therefore I don’t know if I would feel comfortable as a teacher showing the film in class. However, there are so many strong elements that we can learn from the film. For example, the indigenous culture in Mexico (including the language Mixtec, spoken between the two indigenous maids), the social class system at the time and the impact that many student protest groups had on society. It is a deeply emotional movie and although I did love it, I only suggest watching it if you can handle such a profound and emotional movie. It is a bit on the longer side (almost 2 and a half hours) and can be found on Netflix.
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