2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"The past is there, but you have to leave it there", January 14, 2007
This review is from: Roma (DVD)
"Roma" is a film about memories, the memories of an Argentinian writer that has lived in Spain for so long that he seems to be an Spaniard. Joaquín Góñez (José Sacristán), a prestigious novelist, hasn't allowed himself to think about Buenos Aires and his life there since the death of his mother. But now he needs money, and that is the reason why he decides to write an autobiography, something that forces him to remember.
Joaquín's editorial hires Manuel Cueto (Juan Diego Botto), a journalist and aspiring writer, in order to type whatever Joaquín writes, so that the book will be ready in less time. Manuel will be the recipient of some tips given by an old writer to someone that wants to become one, for example "Nobody can teach you how to write. The person that can write, writes". My personal favorite, however, was "Never stop writing, there will always be someone that writes worse" :)
The spectator will bear witness to Joaquín's life, because as he talks his words become images that we are able to watch and share. We will learn about the 60's and 70's in Buenos Aires, and of his life as the beloved only son of a widow, Roma (Susú Pecoraro). There are good memories, but also the kind of terrible moments lived by many Argentinian citizens during the dictatorship.
There are lots of movies, and nobody has time to watch all of them. This one, though, should be in your short list of foreign movies to see. "Roma" is not a classic, and doesn't have actors that are overly well-known in USA, the UK or Canada, but its director (Adolfo Aristarain) somehow managed to provide us with a vivid portrait of what a trip down memory lane is like. You feel that you know Joaquín, and that you have lived what he lived. You believe that you have lived in Buenos Aires, and will probably want to see how that city is like now. In a nutshell, you will think fiction becomes reality, at least during the 155 minutes that this film lasts.
On the whole, I can say that "Roma" is a film I really liked, and that I can easily recommend to others... Enjoy it!
Belen Alcat
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best films viewed recently, April 25, 2006
This review is from: Roma (DVD)
This film is one that resembles pretty much the old school of cinema which prevailed in the late sixties and seventies in Europe. It is a very realistic and profound film, which invites any middle aged viewer to reflect deeply in the memories of his first stages on any one?s life. It is a very well recreated recount that realistically depicts the social atmosphere prevailing in Latin America in the late fifties and sixties, particularly on the terror brought about during those dark years when the military dictatorship was ruling Argentina. Contains an interesting philosophical message about the family relations between parents and children, postulating a poem on the early emotional reactions of a youngster. It would be easy for any one to identify itself with the main character of the film. An excellent film!!!!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle, sweet, slightly rambling, slightly long., April 3, 2011
An aging, caustic (but good hearted) author has a young writer type up
his autobiography, and we see his mostly utopian childhood, the loss of
his beloved father, his love affairs in his early 20s, and his
relationship with his wonderful mother, the title character.
All of this is set against the background of the changing, ever
worsening politics of Argentina.
A film I couldn't quite love, but also couldn't help but like.
It's a little shallow for a 2:30 hour epic tale of a man's life, but
it's also always interesting, and the whole thing is well acted.
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