Set in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City, this film centers on Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a young domestic worker who assumes the roles of maid and nanny in a hectic household, much like the one that director Alfonso Cuarón grew up in.
Roma has been described as Cuarón’s love letter to Libo Rodríguez, his childhood nanny. The film is dedicated to Libo.
Cleo’s affection for the four boisterous children is evident throughout the film. She nuzzles them awake, lends an interested and sympathetic ear, and sings them to sleep. And somehow she also finds the time to do laundry, tidy the rooms, help fellow maid Adela (Nancy Garcia Garcia) with the cooking, carry luggage, and clean the alleyway where the family dog (Borras) runs loose and defecates.
The four children adore Cleo; in particular, the youngest child Pepe (Marco Graf), who has an active imagination. Possibly a stand-in for Cuarón?
The adults in the household are more restrained, conscious of the socioeconomic differences that exist. While they are fond of Cleo, they also take her for granted. She is both an insider and an outsider. But when Cleo discovers she is pregnant and alone, her employer Sofia (Marina de Tavira) sympathizes and arranges for health care.
Sofia’s marriage to Antonio (Fernando Grediaga) is also unraveling. Restless and unhappy, Antonio leaves his family, claiming to participate in a research project in Quebec. Later, we learn that he has moved into another woman’s house in Mexico City. In one poignant scene, Sofia asks her children to write letters to their father, asking him to return.
Humor is found in the most unexpected places. Both Sofia and Antonio lack the skills to properly navigate their enormous Ford Galaxy. They manage to scrape the sides of the car in their own alleyway and, in another case, involve two other vehicles on a busy street. In a later scene, a group of exercise fanatics struggle to stand on one leg.
Alfonso Cuarón wrote, produced, directed, and shot this film. His passion and attention to detail are evident in each scene. Everything from the haircuts to the clothes to the furniture to the cars to the Mexico World Cup 1970 poster has been selected with care.
Filming in black-and-white adds to the authenticity. I could easily imagine myself walking down those busy streets in Mexico City. As for the violent scenes…they appear even more real. Cuarón has included a dramatization of an actual historical event, the Corpus Christi Massacre of 1971, in which soldiers gunned down protestors and pursued them into their hiding places.
Having already received Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Motion Picture—Foreign Language, Roma is a major contender this awards season. As for the Oscars…I predict another Best Director award along with Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Film.
Doug Walsh made his fiction debut with Tailwinds Past Florence, a road-tripping love story with a magical twist, inspired by the two years he spent cycling the world. The novel was a prizewinner in the PNWA Literary Contest. He’s also authored One Lousy Pirate, a travel memoir, and over one hundred officially-licensed video game strategy guides. Travel guides to fictitious places, as he likes to call them. Originally from New Jersey, he now lives and plays in the mountains of western Washington.
Janet G. Nestor is an author, licensed counselor, and expert in energy healing and relaxation strategies, who is regularly interviewed about mindful living and inner peacefulness. Janet has released several books recently including Pathways to Wholeness and Yeshua: One Hundred Meaningful Messages for Messengers. She has also contributed to four books by other authors and participated in five collaborative books that have all become best sellers. In 2017 and 2018, Janet was recognized by Richtopia as one of the top 200 most influential authors in the world.
Cornelia Merk is an intuitive healer, holistic wellness practitioner, and motivational speaker with an extensive background in the study of human potential and the body’s self-healing capacity. She is a certified Nia Brown Belt instructor and has explored the martial arts of aikido, tai chi, and taekwondo to expand her knowledge in body movement and energy flow. In addition, she is a third level reiki practitioner and worked as a personal trainer with Educogym, a fitness training that specifically uses the power of the mind in weight training and losing weight and includes education in nutrition and supplementation with the Irish Association of Holistic Medicine.
As my official bio says, I’ve dreamed of writing romantic fiction since I was fifteen and my older sister sneaked a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna to me and told me to read it. The thought of creating my own world and my own characters sparked my imagination in ways nothing else had.
Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800’s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 
Joanne Guidoccio 