Alfonso Cuarón

Yalitza Aparicio

Marina de Tavira

Diego Cortina Autrey

Carlos Peralta

Marco Graf

Daniela Demesa

Nancy García García

Verónica García

Fernando Grediaga

Jorge Antonio Guerrero

José Manuel Guerrero Mendoza

Andy Cortés

Victor Manuel Resendiz Ruiz

Zarela Lizbeth Chinolla Arellano

José Luis López Gómez

Edwin Mendoza Ramírez

Clementina Guadarrama

Enoc Leaño

Nicolás Peréz Taylor Félix

Kjartan Halvorsen

Alejandra Herrera

Luca De Massis

Gabriela Rodríguez

Nicolás Celis

Alice Scandellari Burr

Carlos A. Morales

Sandino Saravia

Adam Gough

Eugenio Caballero

Oscar Tello

Carlos Benassini

Barbara Enriquez

Bryce Nielsen

Savio Adarsh

Dave Griffiths

José Antonio García

Liliana Villaseñor

Steve Browell

Craig Berkey

Skip Lievsay

Enrique Greiner

Ruy García

Craig Henighan

Eric Dounce

Luis Huesca

Andrew Caller

Sergio Díaz

Anna Terrazas

Emma Canchola

Antonio Garfias

Participant

Esperanto Filmoj

In 1970s Mexico City, two domestic workers help a mother of four while her husband is away for an extended period of time.

Drama

Roma

Spanish

Easily one of the most versatile and visionary filmmakers of our time, Alfonso Cuarón’s work seamlessly bridges the gap between intimate storytelling and grand, ambitious cinema. His career spans over three decades, during which he has effortlessly moved between his native Mexican cinema and Hollywood productions, independent films, and blockbusters. Whether crafting a coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of 1970s Mexico or envisioning a dystopian future, Cuarón’s films are always unmistakably his own, molded by his distinctive authorial voice. Where do you think we have ranked films such as <a href="https://boxd.it/29Qy" rel="nofollow">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> (2004), <a href="https://boxd.it/1Y2i" rel="nofollow">Children of Men</a> (2006), <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY" rel="nofollow">Gravity</a> (2013), and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> (2018), among others? Here Are All Alfonso Cuarón Movies Ranked: <a href="https://www.highonfilms.com/alfonso-cuaron-movies/" rel="nofollow">www.highonfilms.com/alfonso-cuaron-movies/</a>

Easily one of the most versatile and visionary filmmakers of our time, Alfonso Cuarón’s work seamlessly bridges the gap between intimate storytelling and grand, ambitious cinema. His career spans over three decades, during which he has effortlessly moved between his native Mexican cinema and Hollywood productions, independent films, and blockbusters. Whether crafting a coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of 1970s Mexico or envisioning a dystopian future, Cuarón’s films are always unmistakably his own, molded by his distinctive authorial voice. Where do you think we have ranked films such as <a href="https://boxd.it/29Qy">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> (2004), <a href="https://boxd.it/1Y2i">Children of Men</a> (2006), <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY">Gravity</a> (2013), and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> (2018), among others? 

Here Are All Alfonso Cuarón Movies Ranked:
https://www.highonfilms.com/alfonso-cuaron-movies/

All Alfonso Cuarón Movies Ranked

Netflix's array of original movies boasts an impressive roster, spanning genres and captivating audiences worldwide. Martin Scorsese's epic crime saga, "<a href="https://boxd.it/dYOq" rel="nofollow">The Irishman</a>," featuring powerhouse performances from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, has become a cinematic masterpiece. "<a href="https://boxd.it/gXGc" rel="nofollow">Uncut Gems</a>," the frenetic and intense thriller starring Adam Sandler, showcases the streaming giant's commitment to diverse storytelling. Noah Baumbach's emotionally charged "<a href="https://boxd.it/hJAw" rel="nofollow">Marriage Story</a>" provides an intimate exploration of relationships, while "<a href="https://boxd.it/jz2e" rel="nofollow">tick, tick...BOOM</a>!" directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a musical delight that resonates with creativity. The animated gem "<a href="https://boxd.it/dvXe" rel="nofollow">Okja</a>," directed by Bong Joon-ho, combines social commentary with heartwarming storytelling. Delving into the war genre, the adaptation of "<a href="https://boxd.it/H08" rel="nofollow">All Quiet on the Western Front</a>" offers a poignant exploration of the human cost of conflict. Furthermore, Guillermo del Toro's "<a href="https://boxd.it/kjMW" rel="nofollow">Pinocchio</a>" and Jane Campion's "<a href="https://boxd.it/kjMW" rel="nofollow">The Power of the Dog</a>" are highly anticipated additions, further solidifying Netflix's commitment to diverse and compelling original content. With each film, including the critically acclaimed "<a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a>" and the intriguing "<a href="https://boxd.it/oCkK" rel="nofollow">Glass Onion</a>," Netflix continues to redefine cinematic excellence's boundaries.Here Are The 45 Best Netflix Original Movies, Ranked: <a href="https://www.highonfilms.com/the-best-netflix-original-movies/" rel="nofollow">www.highonfilms.com/the-best-netflix-original-movies/</a>

Netflix's array of original movies boasts an impressive roster, spanning genres and captivating audiences worldwide. Martin Scorsese's epic crime saga, "<a href="https://boxd.it/dYOq">The Irishman</a>," featuring powerhouse performances from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, has become a cinematic masterpiece. "<a href="https://boxd.it/gXGc">Uncut Gems</a>," the frenetic and intense thriller starring Adam Sandler, showcases the streaming giant's commitment to diverse storytelling. Noah Baumbach's emotionally charged "<a href="https://boxd.it/hJAw">Marriage Story</a>" provides an intimate exploration of relationships, while "<a href="https://boxd.it/jz2e">tick, tick...BOOM</a>!" directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a musical delight that resonates with creativity. The animated gem "<a href="https://boxd.it/dvXe">Okja</a>," directed by Bong Joon-ho, combines social commentary with heartwarming storytelling. Delving into the war genre, the adaptation of "<a href="https://boxd.it/H08">All Quiet on the Western Front</a>" offers a poignant exploration of the human cost of conflict. Furthermore, Guillermo del Toro's "<a href="https://boxd.it/kjMW">Pinocchio</a>" and Jane Campion's "<a href="https://boxd.it/kjMW">The Power of the Dog</a>" are highly anticipated additions, further solidifying Netflix's commitment to diverse and compelling original content. With each film, including the critically acclaimed "<a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a>" and the intriguing "<a href="https://boxd.it/oCkK">Glass Onion</a>," Netflix continues to redefine cinematic excellence's boundaries.

Here Are The 45 Best Netflix Original Movies, Ranked:
https://www.highonfilms.com/the-best-netflix-original-movies/

The 45 Best Netflix Original Movies Worth Watching Today

We all know that watching a movie at home doesn’t always mean ideal conditions. Most of the time, you’re dealing with glare from the window, overhead lighting, or just the unpredictability of daytime viewing.   That’s where the newly launched<a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017" rel="nofollow"> </a><a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017" rel="nofollow">LG OLED G5</a> makes a difference. This year's new model brings several impressive upgrades, but the one that stands out most is Ambient Light Compensation. With a built-in light sensor, it continuously detects the lighting in your room. It then intelligently adjusts the screen’s gamma curve in real time to maintain perfect visibility and contrast.In addition to that, it delivers a 33% peak, and 40% full screen brightness increase over 2024’s LG G4 OLED. Whether it’s midnight movie time or a sunlit Sunday afternoon—your viewing stays cinematic.   Don’t be afraid to watch a movie in broad daylight anymore. With G5’s Ambient Light Compensation, your love for cinema no longer has to battle time, weather, or lighting conditions.Here are four films that truly shine with LG OLED G5's Ambient Light Compensation — even at 12PM, with the sun out and the curtains wide open. Experience these films on LG OLED and discover the performance of it.   -<a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> -<a href="https://boxd.it/bPI" rel="nofollow">Melancholia</a> -<a href="https://boxd.it/lnRy" rel="nofollow">Nomadland</a> -<a href="https://boxd.it/jj4y" rel="nofollow">1917</a>   And that’s just the beginning — LG OLED G5 is packed with even more features designed for movie lovers (AI Picture Pro, AI Upscaling, etc.) Click <a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017" rel="nofollow">HERE </a>to explore all the details and discover what the new LG OLED G5 is truly capable. *Product specifications and features may vary by model or sizes

We all know that watching a movie at home doesn’t always mean ideal conditions.
Most of the time, you’re dealing with glare from the window, overhead lighting, or just the unpredictability of daytime viewing.
 
That’s where the newly launched<a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017"> </a><a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017">LG OLED G5</a> makes a difference.
This year's new model brings several impressive upgrades, but the one that stands out most is Ambient Light Compensation. With a built-in light sensor, it continuously detects the lighting in your room. It then intelligently adjusts the screen’s gamma curve in real time to maintain perfect visibility and contrast.

In addition to that, it delivers a 33% peak, and 40% full screen brightness increase over 2024’s LG G4 OLED. Whether it’s midnight movie time or a sunlit Sunday afternoon—your viewing stays cinematic.
 
Don’t be afraid to watch a movie in broad daylight anymore. With G5’s Ambient Light Compensation, your love for cinema no longer has to battle time, weather, or lighting conditions.

Here are four films that truly shine with LG OLED G5's Ambient Light Compensation — even at 12PM, with the sun out and the curtains wide open. Experience these films on LG OLED and discover the performance of it.
 
-<a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a>
-<a href="https://boxd.it/bPI">Melancholia</a>
-<a href="https://boxd.it/lnRy">Nomadland</a>
-<a href="https://boxd.it/jj4y">1917</a>
 
And that’s just the beginning — LG OLED G5 is packed with even more features designed for movie lovers (AI Picture Pro, AI Upscaling, etc.) Click <a href="https://lgcog.click/movie-0017">HERE </a>to explore all the details and discover what the new LG OLED G5 is truly capable. 

*Product specifications and features may vary by model or sizes

Cinematic without curtains

Just after <a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/en/" rel="nofollow">the Tokyo International Film Festival</a> announced the lineup for its 37th edition in late September, an email arrived from Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar®-winning filmmaker of <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY" rel="nofollow">Gravity</a> (2013) and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> (2018). He said he would be visiting Tokyo during TIFF for the promotion of his Apple TV+ series <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4" rel="nofollow">Disclaimer</a> (2024), and asked if the festival would be interested in screening a little Christmas film he produced. Would they ever! TIFF quickly secured a venue on November 4.   “I hope it wasn’t a big headache for the festival,” laughed Cuarón, who attended a talk show with TIFF Programming Director Ichiyama Shozo after the Asian premiere of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a>. Inspired by the true tale of an owl who got stuck in a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, the animated film portrays the unlikely friendship between a lost owl and a lonely girl in New York City during the holiday season.   <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a> is the third and final installment of holiday short films produced by Cuarón for Disney, following Alice Rohrwacher’s <a href="https://boxd.it/AO7M" rel="nofollow">Le Pupille</a> (2022) and Iain Softley’s <a href="https://boxd.it/GeKg" rel="nofollow">The Shepherd</a> (2023). During the talk show, Cuarón explained that this project is meant to show different ways that people around the world celebrate the end of the year. However, the filmmaker also shared his ulterior motive: “Frankly, it was an act of selfishness because I wanted to collaborate with directors I admire.”   For <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a>, Cuarón got to work with David Lowery, the American filmmaker of <a href="https://boxd.it/fb0K" rel="nofollow">A Ghost Story</a> (2017) and <a href="https://boxd.it/kuy2" rel="nofollow">The Green Knight</a> (2021). It was Lowery who proposed the idea of making this Christmas film as an animation. According to Cuarón, “David wanted to recreate the feel of the stop motion that he used to do as a young teenager, using cardboard. He wanted to bring that spirit into the story.” However, stop motion that proved to be impossible due to the time constraints. Instead, they went with 3D digital animation that imitates the hand-crafted look.   During the second part of the talk show, Cuarón and Ichiyama, two passionate cinephiles, talked about young filmmakers they are discovering. Cuarón’s list includes Juho Kuosmanen of <a href="https://boxd.it/lEty" rel="nofollow">Compartment No. 6</a> (2021) and Chaitanya Tamhane whose <a href="https://boxd.it/riwi" rel="nofollow">The Disciple</a> (2020) was executive produced by Cuarón. Ichiyama looked very pleased to mention that Kazakhstani film <a href="https://boxd.it/QpSK" rel="nofollow">Cadet</a>, which is playing in the main Competition of the 37th TIFF, was actually Cuarón’s favorite.   Cuarón also shared his passion toward Japanese cinema, from legendary auteurs like Mizoguchi Kenji and Ozu Yasujiro to B-grade yakuza films from the 1970s. As for recent films by Japanese directors, Cuarón was impressed with Kore-eda Hirokazu’s <a href="https://boxd.it/ifY6" rel="nofollow">Shoplifters</a> (2018) and (surprisingly) Miike Takashi’s <a href="https://boxd.it/5w1Y" rel="nofollow">Shield of Straw</a> (2013), whose concept, Cuarón found, is similar to Fritz Lang’s M (1931). For Cuarón, “It’s important to see the films of old masters. But there’s a point as a filmmaker that if you don’t connect with the films of new masters, you become old very quickly.”   To conclude the talk show, Cuarón briefly talked about his plan after <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4" rel="nofollow">Disclaimer</a>. “I don’t have a next project,” said Cuarón, “As I don’t know how to shoot television, I shot it [<a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4" rel="nofollow">Disclaimer</a>] like a film. And I’m not very fast at shooting. So it was a very, very, very long process. Now I want to do a normal-length [work], maybe something very short like 90 minutes.”   <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a> will be streamed exclusively on Disney+ starting November 15.<a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=19598" rel="nofollow">2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=19598</a>

Just after <a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/en/">the Tokyo International Film Festival</a> announced the lineup for its 37th edition in late September, an email arrived from Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar®-winning filmmaker of <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY">Gravity</a> (2013) and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> (2018). He said he would be visiting Tokyo during TIFF for the promotion of his Apple TV+ series <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4">Disclaimer</a> (2024), and asked if the festival would be interested in screening a little Christmas film he produced. Would they ever! TIFF quickly secured a venue on November 4.
 
“I hope it wasn’t a big headache for the festival,” laughed Cuarón, who attended a talk show with TIFF Programming Director Ichiyama Shozo after the Asian premiere of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>. Inspired by the true tale of an owl who got stuck in a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, the animated film portrays the unlikely friendship between a lost owl and a lonely girl in New York City during the holiday season.
 
<a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a> is the third and final installment of holiday short films produced by Cuarón for Disney, following Alice Rohrwacher’s <a href="https://boxd.it/AO7M">Le Pupille</a> (2022) and Iain Softley’s <a href="https://boxd.it/GeKg">The Shepherd</a> (2023). During the talk show, Cuarón explained that this project is meant to show different ways that people around the world celebrate the end of the year. However, the filmmaker also shared his ulterior motive: “Frankly, it was an act of selfishness because I wanted to collaborate with directors I admire.”
 
For <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>, Cuarón got to work with David Lowery, the American filmmaker of <a href="https://boxd.it/fb0K">A Ghost Story</a> (2017) and <a href="https://boxd.it/kuy2">The Green Knight</a> (2021). It was Lowery who proposed the idea of making this Christmas film as an animation. According to Cuarón, “David wanted to recreate the feel of the stop motion that he used to do as a young teenager, using cardboard. He wanted to bring that spirit into the story.” However, stop motion that proved to be impossible due to the time constraints. Instead, they went with 3D digital animation that imitates the hand-crafted look.
 
During the second part of the talk show, Cuarón and Ichiyama, two passionate cinephiles, talked about young filmmakers they are discovering. Cuarón’s list includes Juho Kuosmanen of <a href="https://boxd.it/lEty">Compartment No. 6</a> (2021) and Chaitanya Tamhane whose <a href="https://boxd.it/riwi">The Disciple</a> (2020) was executive produced by Cuarón. Ichiyama looked very pleased to mention that Kazakhstani film <a href="https://boxd.it/QpSK">Cadet</a>, which is playing in the main Competition of the 37th TIFF, was actually Cuarón’s favorite.
 
Cuarón also shared his passion toward Japanese cinema, from legendary auteurs like Mizoguchi Kenji and Ozu Yasujiro to B-grade yakuza films from the 1970s. As for recent films by Japanese directors, Cuarón was impressed with Kore-eda Hirokazu’s <a href="https://boxd.it/ifY6">Shoplifters</a> (2018) and (surprisingly) Miike Takashi’s <a href="https://boxd.it/5w1Y">Shield of Straw</a> (2013), whose concept, Cuarón found, is similar to Fritz Lang’s M (1931). For Cuarón, “It’s important to see the films of old masters. But there’s a point as a filmmaker that if you don’t connect with the films of new masters, you become old very quickly.”
 
To conclude the talk show, Cuarón briefly talked about his plan after <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4">Disclaimer</a>. “I don’t have a next project,” said Cuarón, “As I don’t know how to shoot television, I shot it [<a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4">Disclaimer</a>] like a film. And I’m not very fast at shooting. So it was a very, very, very long process. Now I want to do a normal-length [work], maybe something very short like 90 minutes.”
 
<a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a> will be streamed exclusively on Disney+ starting November 15.

https://2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=19598

A Holiday Gift from Alfonso Cuarón - "An Almost Christmas Story" Talk Show

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s visit to Japan has been confirmed for the screening of <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4" rel="nofollow">Disclaimer</a> in the TIFF Series Section at <a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/en/" rel="nofollow">the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival</a>! A free screening of the short animation film <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a>, produced by Cuarón, along with a talk show featuring the director, will take place on Monday, November 4, at TOHO Cinemas Chanter, Screen 2.   We’re inviting to this exclusive talk show and free screening! Please fill out the required fields in the application form at the bottom of the page to apply.   Alfonso Cuarón: Profile Directed the highly praised <a href="https://boxd.it/29Qy" rel="nofollow">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> (2004). <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY" rel="nofollow">Gravity</a> (2013) was a global hit, winning seven awards at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Film Editing. <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> (2018) earned him his second Academy Award for Best Director, as well as awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography.   37th Tokyo International Film Festival Special Screenings Asian Premiere <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a> Director/Screenplay/Producer: David Lowery Screenplay/Original Story: Jack Thorne Original Story/Executive Producer: Alfonso Cuarón Producer: Gabriela Rodríguez Voice Cast: Mamoudou Athie, Cary Christopher, Jim Gaffigan, Gianna Joseph, Natasha Lyonne, Estella Madrigal, Alex Ross Perry, John C. Reilly, Phil Rosenthal   Film details: A short animated film by David Lowery, director of <a href="https://boxd.it/fb0K" rel="nofollow">A Ghost Story</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/kuy2" rel="nofollow">The Green Knight</a>. A young owl meets a lost little girl in New York City. Together, they try to get home for Christmas. The original story and executive production are by Alfonso Cuarón. 21min / Color / English / With Japanese Subtitles / 2024 / Streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting November 15.   Talk Show with Director Alfonso Cuarón &amp; Free Screening of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a> Date and Time: Monday, Nov 4, doors open at 4:40 PM / event starts at 5:00 PM (subject to change) Venue: TOHO Cinemas Chanter, Screen 2 Guest Speaker: Alfonso Cuarón (Film Director and Producer of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w" rel="nofollow">An Almost Christmas Story</a>) Admission: Free; the talk show will feature consecutive Japanese-English interpretation, with Japanese subtitles for the screening Application Deadline: Friday, Nov 1, 6:00 PM Note: If applications exceed capacity, attendees will be chosen by lottery. Winners will be notified via email on Saturday, Nov 2, around 5:00 PM. Seating is pre-assigned (if applying with a guest, adjacent seats will be arranged if selected).   <a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=19306" rel="nofollow">Registration form</a>

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s visit to Japan has been confirmed for the screening of <a href="https://boxd.it/PDv4">Disclaimer</a> in the TIFF Series Section at <a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/en/">the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival</a>! A free screening of the short animation film <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>, produced by Cuarón, along with a talk show featuring the director, will take place on Monday, November 4, at TOHO Cinemas Chanter, Screen 2.
 
We’re inviting to this exclusive talk show and free screening! Please fill out the required fields in the application form at the bottom of the page to apply.
 
Alfonso Cuarón: Profile
Directed the highly praised <a href="https://boxd.it/29Qy">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> (2004). <a href="https://boxd.it/GZY">Gravity</a> (2013) was a global hit, winning seven awards at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Film Editing. <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> (2018) earned him his second Academy Award for Best Director, as well as awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography.
 
37th Tokyo International Film Festival Special Screenings
Asian Premiere
<a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>
Director/Screenplay/Producer: David Lowery
Screenplay/Original Story: Jack Thorne
Original Story/Executive Producer: Alfonso Cuarón
Producer: Gabriela Rodríguez
Voice Cast: Mamoudou Athie, Cary Christopher, Jim Gaffigan, Gianna Joseph, Natasha Lyonne, Estella Madrigal, Alex Ross Perry, John C. Reilly, Phil Rosenthal
 
Film details:
A short animated film by David Lowery, director of <a href="https://boxd.it/fb0K">A Ghost Story</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/kuy2">The Green Knight</a>.
A young owl meets a lost little girl in New York City. Together, they try to get home for Christmas.
The original story and executive production are by Alfonso Cuarón.
21min / Color / English / With Japanese Subtitles / 2024 / Streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting November 15.
 
Talk Show with Director Alfonso Cuarón & Free Screening of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>
Date and Time: Monday, Nov 4, doors open at 4:40 PM / event starts at 5:00 PM (subject to change)
Venue: TOHO Cinemas Chanter, Screen 2
Guest Speaker: Alfonso Cuarón (Film Director and Producer of <a href="https://boxd.it/Qe3w">An Almost Christmas Story</a>)
Admission: Free; the talk show will feature consecutive Japanese-English interpretation, with Japanese subtitles for the screening
Application Deadline: Friday, Nov 1, 6:00 PM
Note: If applications exceed capacity, attendees will be chosen by lottery. Winners will be notified via email on Saturday, Nov 2, around 5:00 PM. Seating is pre-assigned (if applying with a guest, adjacent seats will be arranged if selected).
 
<a href="https://2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=19306">Registration form</a>

Urgent Announcement & Free Screening Confirmed! Talk Show with Alfonso Cuarón & Free Screening of “An Almost Christmas Story”! Registration Now Open for Interested Attendees!

Hello esteemed members of the Letterboxd community! I’m Paris Zarcilla, writer and director of my debut feature, <a href="https://boxd.it/xbKk" rel="nofollow">RAGING GRACE</a>, out now in US theaters (beginning December 1st) and in UK cinemas on December 29th! I’m excited to get a chance to talk about the film's influences because RAGING GRACE is a very blended genre film that walks proudly as a thriller, dark dramedy and horror. It was truly written from a place of rage but it’s a film that rages differently from what the word evokes and it’s a horror in unexpecting and untraditional ways. Many people ask me why I chose the lens of horror to talk about undocumented domestic workers. Unfortunately, many immigrant experiences are horrific which go unnoticed and unheard but it’s why I’ll always love genre because it has given many of us the tools to entertainingly confront nuanced issues with a megaphone. This is my coming of rage. May you all find a way to rage gracefully. Much love, Paris.<blockquote>Check out the full list on Horrorville <a href="https://boxd.it/qHNw2" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</blockquote><a href="https://boxd.it/VAa" rel="nofollow">The Servant</a> - Joseph Losey From top to bottom this film is a masterpiece. An unobvious horror film about class and power that seethes with quiet rage and delirium as it confronts class division. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite get the same praise of other films released in the same year (<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/8-half/" rel="nofollow">81⁄2</a>, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/high-and-low/" rel="nofollow">High and Low</a>, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-birds/" rel="nofollow">The Birds</a>). There’s a rot at the core of both Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) and Tony (James Fox) who, for me, represent the disillusionment of a classist and entitled society beginning to feel the broken promises of the British empire. This rot is also at the core of my antagonists Catherine and Mr. Garrett (intentional name similarity). <a href="https://boxd.it/1ZxG" rel="nofollow">Shaking Tokyo</a> (short film) - Bong Joon Ho This is an extraordinary short by director Bong. It's a display of beautifully executed camera work and cinematic craftsmanship. It's a masterclass in shot economy. This was the film where my brain cells began to understand the importance of pacing and rhythm and how it can be informed by my shot choices. I’ve put it into practice with everything I’ve done since. Due to our small budget, my shot choreography had to be precise and economic and from a stylistic point informed the rhythm onscreen as opposed to in the edit. Thanks to this film, I’ve become a far more considered filmmaker. <a href="https://boxd.it/2aQa" rel="nofollow">Rebecca</a> - Alfred Hitchcock Big, fuck-off, gothic semi-haunted mansion. Yes, please. <a href="https://boxd.it/lXFe" rel="nofollow">Fanny and Alexander</a> - Ingmar Bergman After watching the 312 min version, I remember sitting in the dark ruminating on the profound experience I just had. This film influenced me so much to the point I had to rewrite an early draft of Raging Grace because it was a kindergarten-level rewrite of Acts 4 and 5. If anything, this film gave me the permission to end my film with the warmth of joy and celebration, and the importance of reclaiming it in dark times. <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> - Alfonso Cuaron This was the first time I saw a film that treated a character - who is often no more than a prop in the background of films - with extraordinary grace and tenderness. The main character reminded me so much of my own mother whose experience of working as a cleaner and caretaker in family homes influenced the story of Raging Grace. Roma revealed the fragility of an upper-middle class family held together by their live-in domestic caretaker, Cleo. I winced at the ways Cleo would receive the affection of the budding children, even being considered a family member, juxtaposed with poetic yet piercing visual reminders that she is still an employee of the house. <a href="https://boxd.it/1PVy" rel="nofollow">The Changeling</a> - Peter Medak Big, fuck-off, gothic, haunted mansion. Yes, please. <a href="https://boxd.it/1VhY" rel="nofollow">Matilda</a> - Danny DeVito I've said this close to a thousand times already but the scene where Matilda and Miss Honey narrowly escape Miss Trunchball’s house is a master class in tension building. I watched far too many horrors as a kid but there was something in the DNA of this scene that terrified me more than any other films. Devito managed to encapsulate the terror of being caught in a place you absolutely shouldn't be in or don't belong to. These were constantly recurring themes in my film especially for the main characters, Joy and Grace. But what influenced me the most in this scene was the sublime balance of comedy and terror. Giving an audience that feeling of wanting to laugh at the most inappropriate moment and giving them permission to do so is just masterful, *chefs kiss* work. <a href="https://boxd.it/26E0" rel="nofollow">Nobody Knows</a> - Hirokazu Koreeda I remember having to pause halfway through the film because it actually felt like my heart was breaking. Koreeda is constantly stress testing the family dynamic in all his films and in Nobody Knows he puts the sibling relationship through the trials. This is no horror film by any account yet I still watched this through the gaps of my fingers. The casual abandonment of these children gave me chills. For me, this subtle kind of horror really influenced Raging Grace’s cinematic language that led to keeping my frames bold but simple, leaving room for the protagonists' nuances and complexities to sing. <a href="https://boxd.it/27Po" rel="nofollow">The Others</a> - Alejandro Amenábar Big, fuck-off, gothic, haunted mansion with Nicole Kidman. Yes, please.----- You can follow Paris on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pariszarcilla" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.threads.net/@pariszarcilla" rel="nofollow">Threads</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/pariszarcilla" rel="nofollow">X</a>.

Hello esteemed members of the Letterboxd community! I’m Paris Zarcilla, writer and director of my debut feature, <a href="https://boxd.it/xbKk">RAGING GRACE</a>, out now in US theaters (beginning December 1st) and in UK cinemas on December 29th! 

I’m excited to get a chance to talk about the film's influences because RAGING GRACE is a very blended genre film that walks proudly as a thriller, dark dramedy and horror. It was truly written from a place of rage but it’s a film that rages differently from what the word evokes and it’s a horror in unexpecting and untraditional ways. Many people ask me why I chose the lens of horror to talk about undocumented domestic workers. Unfortunately, many immigrant experiences are horrific which go unnoticed and unheard but it’s why I’ll always love genre because it has given many of us the tools to entertainingly confront nuanced issues with a megaphone. This is my coming of rage. 

May you all find a way to rage gracefully. 

Much love, Paris. 

<blockquote>Check out the full list on Horrorville <a href="https://boxd.it/qHNw2">here</a>.</blockquote>

<a href="https://boxd.it/VAa">The Servant</a> - Joseph Losey 
From top to bottom this film is a masterpiece. An unobvious horror film about class and power that seethes with quiet rage and delirium as it confronts class division. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite get the same praise of other films released in the same year (<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/8-half/">81⁄2</a>, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/high-and-low/">High and Low</a>, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-birds/">The Birds</a>). There’s a rot at the core of both Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) and Tony (James Fox) who, for me, represent the disillusionment of a classist and entitled society beginning to feel the broken promises of the British empire. This rot is also at the core of my antagonists Catherine and Mr. Garrett (intentional name similarity). 

<a href="https://boxd.it/1ZxG">Shaking Tokyo</a> (short film) - Bong Joon Ho 
This is an extraordinary short by director Bong. It's a display of beautifully executed camera work and cinematic craftsmanship. It's a masterclass in shot economy. This was the film where my brain cells began to understand the importance of pacing and rhythm and how it can be informed by my shot choices. I’ve put it into practice with everything I’ve done since. Due to our small budget, my shot choreography had to be precise and economic and from a stylistic point informed the rhythm onscreen as opposed to in the edit. Thanks to this film, I’ve become a far more considered filmmaker. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/2aQa">Rebecca</a> - Alfred Hitchcock 
Big, fuck-off, gothic semi-haunted mansion. Yes, please. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/lXFe">Fanny and Alexander</a> - Ingmar Bergman 
After watching the 312 min version, I remember sitting in the dark ruminating on the profound experience I just had. This film influenced me so much to the point I had to rewrite an early draft of Raging Grace because it was a kindergarten-level rewrite of Acts 4 and 5. If anything, this film gave me the permission to end my film with the warmth of joy and celebration, and the importance of reclaiming it in dark times. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> - Alfonso Cuaron 
This was the first time I saw a film that treated a character - who is often no more than a prop in the background of films - with extraordinary grace and tenderness. The main character reminded me so much of my own mother whose experience of working as a cleaner and caretaker in family homes influenced the story of Raging Grace. Roma revealed the fragility of an upper-middle class family held together by their live-in domestic caretaker, Cleo. I winced at the ways Cleo would receive the affection of the budding children, even being considered a family member, juxtaposed with poetic yet piercing visual reminders that she is still an employee of the house. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/1PVy">The Changeling</a> - Peter Medak 
Big, fuck-off, gothic, haunted mansion. Yes, please. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/1VhY">Matilda</a> - Danny DeVito 
I've said this close to a thousand times already but the scene where Matilda and Miss Honey narrowly escape Miss Trunchball’s house is a master class in tension building. I watched far too many horrors as a kid but there was something in the DNA of this scene that terrified me more than any other films. Devito managed to encapsulate the terror of being caught in a place you absolutely shouldn't be in or don't belong to. These were constantly recurring themes in my film especially for the main characters, Joy and Grace. But what influenced me the most in this scene was the sublime balance of comedy and terror. Giving an audience that feeling of wanting to laugh at the most inappropriate moment and giving them permission to do so is just masterful, *chefs kiss* work. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/26E0">Nobody Knows</a> - Hirokazu Koreeda 
I remember having to pause halfway through the film because it actually felt like my heart was breaking. Koreeda is constantly stress testing the family dynamic in all his films and in Nobody Knows he puts the sibling relationship through the trials. This is no horror film by any account yet I still watched this through the gaps of my fingers. The casual abandonment of these children gave me chills. For me, this subtle kind of horror really influenced Raging Grace’s cinematic language that led to keeping my frames bold but simple, leaving room for the protagonists' nuances and complexities to sing. 

<a href="https://boxd.it/27Po">The Others</a> - Alejandro Amenábar 
Big, fuck-off, gothic, haunted mansion with Nicole Kidman. Yes, please.

-----
You can follow Paris on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pariszarcilla">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.threads.net/@pariszarcilla">Threads</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/pariszarcilla">X</a>.

9 films that inspired Paris Zarcilla’s Raging Grace

<blockquote>"Something consciously I was trying to do was to honour the sense of space, but also the sense of time. Allowing the scenes to flow in which the camera is more like a ghost that comes from the future and is in that place and is just witnessing." —Alfonso Cuarón</blockquote>Academy Award–nominated writer, director, and cinematographer Alfonso Cuarón discusses his choice to shoot his 2018 feature <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> digitally in black and white, and why he stepped in when his long-time collaborator Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki became unavailable; and producer Gabriela Rodriguez — the first Latina woman Oscar-nominated for producing — discusses the difficulties inherent in a production shot entirely in black and white instead of colour.The basis for the way Cuarón's Academy Award-winning feature was shot, stems from the desire to honour the sense of space and time, while allowing scenes to flow as the camera acts like a ghost witnessing what's playing out in front of it.

<blockquote>"Something consciously I was trying to do was to honour the sense of space, but also the sense of time. Allowing the scenes to flow in which the camera is more like a ghost that comes from the future and is in that place and is just witnessing." —Alfonso Cuarón</blockquote>

Academy Award–nominated writer, director, and cinematographer Alfonso Cuarón discusses his choice to shoot his 2018 feature <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> digitally in black and white, and why he stepped in when his long-time collaborator Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki became unavailable; and producer Gabriela Rodriguez — the first Latina woman Oscar-nominated for producing — discusses the difficulties inherent in a production shot entirely in black and white instead of colour.

The basis for the way Cuarón's Academy Award-winning feature was shot, stems from the desire to honour the sense of space and time, while allowing scenes to flow as the camera acts like a ghost witnessing what's playing out in front of it.

How Alfonso Cuaron Became Roma's Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer

Friends, if you aren't caught up yet on the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3VukCx4vhlILNV3JCnf8by" rel="nofollow">podcast</a>, for September we're spotlighting Latin American Movies Month. Our friend Ismael has <a href="https://boxd.it/bNCZE" rel="nofollow">created a Letterboxd list as a guide for us</a> and we'll be doing our dangdest to pick some solid bangers.To kick off the month, Danny chose <a href="https://boxd.it/1nRS" rel="nofollow">THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL</a>. Supernatural, fantasy, maybe some horror and symbolism mixed in? Let's do it. Next up, Slim chose a movie that has been on his Watchlist for ages; <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">ROMA</a>. You know it's time, baby. Proto has the final pick for the month and went big time with <a href="https://boxd.it/2a2a" rel="nofollow">City of God</a>; a first-time viewing for all of us.As always, you <a href="http://vhsvillage.com/" rel="nofollow">buy prints of Danny's artwork</a> and listen along using the links on <a href="https://70mmpod.com/" rel="nofollow">70mmpod.com</a>. Maybe even join the VHS Village Discord over at our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/70mm" rel="nofollow">Patreon</a>? Don't forget about our special Labor Day episode, <a href="https://boxd.it/1Uvq" rel="nofollow">National Lampoon's Vacation</a>.xoxo

Friends, if you aren't caught up yet on the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3VukCx4vhlILNV3JCnf8by">podcast</a>, for September we're spotlighting Latin American Movies Month. Our friend Ismael has <a href="https://boxd.it/bNCZE">created a Letterboxd list as a guide for us</a> and we'll be doing our dangdest to pick some solid bangers.

To kick off the month, Danny chose <a href="https://boxd.it/1nRS">THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL</a>. Supernatural, fantasy, maybe some horror and symbolism mixed in? Let's do it. Next up, Slim chose a movie that has been on his Watchlist for ages; <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">ROMA</a>. You know it's time, baby. Proto has the final pick for the month and went big time with <a href="https://boxd.it/2a2a">City of God</a>; a first-time viewing for all of us.

As always, you <a href="http://vhsvillage.com/">buy prints of Danny's artwork</a> and listen along using the links on <a href="https://70mmpod.com/">70mmpod.com</a>. Maybe even join the VHS Village Discord over at our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/70mm">Patreon</a>? Don't forget about our special Labor Day episode, <a href="https://boxd.it/1Uvq">National Lampoon's Vacation</a>.

xoxo

70mm - September 2021

<h3>Festiville correspondent Brian Formo returns to the mountains to experience new films from Mike Mills, Joe Wright, Kenneth Branagh and Reinaldo Marcus Green, along with a bespoke archival selection from Telluride bestie Barry Jenkins. </h3>The Telluride Film Festival is a unique experience among film festivals. The Colorado town is nestled in a valley at 8,000 feet, surrounded by mountains that hit just north of 14,000 feet in elevation. Like the location, the festival is tucked in between two other massive film festivals, Venice and TIFF, that invite millions of eyes via a high attendance of press, red carpets and fan attention. Telluride, on the other hand, is almost entirely reserved for the people who make it to the mountains. It does not even announce the films that are playing until the day before kick-off. This is the <a href="https://boxd.it/dg4CI" rel="nofollow">48th edition</a> of the festival (after one cancelled last year due to Covid-19) and every person you meet in town over Labor Day weekend, from vacationers to filmmakers, has either been coming for multiple years or, if it’s their first time, vows instantly to come back. The surrounding mountain peaks and the clear starry nights beg you to look up to your surroundings just as often as you look at the screen. All the venues are functional town spaces—like a high school gymnasium or an old Elk’s Lodge—that are re-shaped into 400-650 capacity theaters. The stars of the movies order coffee in front of you at local shops and dress about as normally as celebrities can, happy to shed the glitz and embrace the mountain life for a few days before hitting the awards circuit for months on end. All attendees stand in line together, giving ample time for people to talk about the films they’ve seen with queue-mates, who could be industry professionals, vacationing individuals, or fest volunteers. The vibes from morning until night are more relaxed, more interconnected, and more granola than any other film festival.<h3>Guest Director: Barry Jenkins</h3>I mention all of this because I am happy to return for my third Telluride film festival, particularly after a year off from festivals due to the pandemic (note: vaccination is required for a pass; daily tests for screenings without a pass). It’s my first time here since 2016. But I also mention this because this year the guest director is the Academy Award winner <a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/barry-jenkins/" rel="nofollow">Barry Jenkins</a>, who has been attending Telluride since 2002, when he was a student filmmaker. Jenkins returned for many years as a volunteer, then eventually as an emcee to introduce some of the films, and as a short film programmer. He’d been known to the town and festival-goers for fourteen years by the time the film that launched him to international stardom, <a href="https://boxd.it/d6bE" rel="nofollow">Moonlight</a>, had its premiere here. I went to A24’s post-premiere party for Moonlight, and it was one of the most magical Telluride moments of my life. I remember Mahershala Ali’s stunning, long, patterned black-and-white jacket being the best fashion I’ve ever seen in person with my own two eyes. Everyone was approachable and high on life. There was a sense in that bar in September 2016 that some lives were going to be very different from that night forward (the sheer scope of how different was beyond anyone’s expectations). Five years and a Best Picture Oscar later, Jenkins is back in Telluride, this time introducing films that he himself selected for their artistic importance. Although there are big awards contenders having either their world premiere here or their first showings in North American venues after their Venice or Cannes debuts, I made Jenkins’ selection of <a href="https://boxd.it/8bHg" rel="nofollow">West Indies</a> my first Telluride 2021 pick. West Indies is a 1979 Algeria-Mauritania allegory-musical in the French language, directed by Med Hondo. There are few prints left in the world. Jenkins’ first ask, or rather test, of the festival when they approached him to curate films was to track down a 35mm print of Hondo’s film. At the introduction of West Indies, Jenkins posed for a photograph with the 2021 students attending for the symposium and noted that some friends he’d made in 2002 at his own student symposium were attending the festival this year, too. He commended Telluride co-director <a href="https://letterboxd.com/producer/julie-huntsinger/" rel="nofollow">Julie Huntsinger</a> (a long-time Jenkins champion) on tracking down a print, but while spirits were high in the room, Jenkins wanted all to know that what they were about to see “was released 42 years ago and it was buried. Why? Because it’s a fucking grenade... It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see. And when we look at cinema history we don't get to see shit like West Indies. We erase this work, we erase these people, so I’m so glad Telluride found the print, they’re going to show the print, and y’all motherfuckers showed up [to make it] your first movie here.” The film is a beguiling polemic, set entirely on one stage even though it stretches in time from the slave trade to modern Paris, and into the covert meetings of the powers-that-be who desire to make a new form of slavery out of immigration. The stage setting lets the audience know that time is merely dressing things up—plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Watching this artifact surrounded by students, inside an old Masonic Lodge, was a transfixing, electric experience, complete with laughter and applause in the right spots. It’s a transgressive, darkly funny, and sharp-tongued cousin of such firebrand works as <a href="https://boxd.it/1gV4" rel="nofollow">Putney Swope </a>and <a href="https://boxd.it/1hUQ" rel="nofollow">I Am Cuba</a>. Hopefully, locating this print is but one step in the process of making the film more widely available. (The screening itself was sponsored by the Criterion Collection, so watch this space.) Jenkins’ other Telluride selections include two films that I also highly recommend—Claire Denis’ <a href="https://boxd.it/Y7g" rel="nofollow">Chocolat</a> and Isaac Julien’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1hfe" rel="nofollow">Looking for Langston</a>—in addition to a filmmaker spotlight on <a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/kahlil-joseph-1/" rel="nofollow">Kahlil Joseph</a>, Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz’s <a href="https://boxd.it/dKws" rel="nofollow">Garden</a>, and Aleksandr Sokurov’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1JQM" rel="nofollow">Russian Ark</a>, which played at Jenkins’ first Telluride in 2002, after its Cannes debut.<h3>Belfast</h3>Now to some Letterboxd reactions to a few world premieres at Telluride 2021. While I was watching West Indies, four films debuted at the same time, three of which I did see on the second day (more on them below). I missed Kenneth Branaugh’s <a href="https://boxd.it/tefG" rel="nofollow">Belfast</a>, starring Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and Judi Dench, so I will let Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/" rel="nofollow">Lance St. Laurent</a> chime in on the semi-autobiographical film about growing up in the capital of Northern Ireland during the fraught 1960s. <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/belfast/" rel="nofollow">Laurent compares</a> the film to Cuarón’s <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a> crossed with <a href="https://boxd.it/2bdy" rel="nofollow">Billy Elliot</a>, noting that it’s “warm, personal, and surprisingly robust stylistically.”<h3>C’mon C’mon</h3>Mike Mills’ <a href="https://boxd.it/nrI0" rel="nofollow">C’mon C’mon</a> is his much anticipated feature film follow-up to <a href="https://boxd.it/bqU6" rel="nofollow">20th Century Women</a>. Like that film, it’s a tender and honest portrait of parenting in a very specific era, except this one is set in the now, stars Joaquin Phoenix in his first role since winning the Best Actor Oscar for <a href="https://boxd.it/h4cS" rel="nofollow">Joker</a>, and is shot in black-and-white by Robbie Ryan. Phoenix plays a radio journalist who relieves his sister (Gabby Hoffman) from the parenting duties of her nine-year-old son (Woody Norman) while she has to try to convince her son’s bipolar dad (Scoot McNairy) to enter a psychiatric hospital. Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/gmfrieberg/" rel="nofollow">G M Frieberg</a> caught the film and <a href="https://letterboxd.com/gmfrieberg/film/cmon-cmon/" rel="nofollow">called it</a> a “lovely, small potatoes <a href="https://boxd.it/3178" rel="nofollow">Boyhood</a>-esque film with a great kid-actor performance and a very subdued and empathetic Joaquin.” <a href="https://letterboxd.com/leahcar/" rel="nofollow">Rachael</a> also highlighted Phoenix, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/leahcar/film/cmon-cmon/" rel="nofollow">writing</a> that this was her “favorite Joaquin performance in a while. Beautiful stuff.” <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/" rel="nofollow">St. Laurent</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/cmon-cmon/" rel="nofollow">declared</a> it “another winner from Mike Mills. Funny, moving, extraordinarily observant and lived in.” And <a href="https://letterboxd.com/mgramigna/" rel="nofollow">Matt Graminga</a> predicts, in his<a href="https://letterboxd.com/mgramigna/film/cmon-cmon/" rel="nofollow"> five-star review</a>, that “I have a feeling that in the coming months, a whole lot of people are about to have their heart strings mangled by Mike Mills and this entire cast.” I, too, found <a href="https://letterboxd.com/brianformo/film/cmon-cmon/" rel="nofollow">lots to love</a> in Mills’ personal work, which he introduced as coming from a conversation with his son during bath time. After such a volcanic performance from Phoenix in Joker, it’s nice to be reminded that he has the range and charm to be warmhearted as well. C’mon C’mon is also screening at the <a href="https://letterboxd.com/filmlinc/" rel="nofollow">New York Film Festival</a> later this month.<h3>Cyrano</h3>Joe Wright’s <a href="https://boxd.it/rnri" rel="nofollow">Cyrano</a> is an adaptation of the recent Off Broadway musical take on the oft-told tale of Cyrano, a poet who provides the words for a more traditionally handsome man to seduce the woman that he himself loves. Written by Erica Schmidt with original music by indie rock darlings The National, the musical adheres much closer to the structure of Edmond Rostand’s original 1897 play than more comedic adaptations like Steve Martin’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1TuG" rel="nofollow">Roxanne</a> and the current VOD offering, <a href="https://boxd.it/" rel="nofollow">It Takes Three</a>. There are sword fights, battles, gorgeous gowns, and the kind of chemistry you’d expect from the man behind <a href="https://boxd.it/qDf3h" rel="nofollow">the hand flex</a>. Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett reprise their stage roles as childhood friends; he, the titular Cyrano and she the object of his unavowed affection. Kelvin Harrison, Jr. plays Christian, who receives Cyrano’s wonderfully beautiful words with which to woo Bennett, and Ben Mendelsohn is the rich man who desires to be wed to her immediately (and, in doing so, could save her family from debt).<a href="https://boxd.it/rnri" rel="nofollow">Cyrano</a> was shot on an Italian island in a bubble during 2020’s summer lockdown, and the sheer scale of costumes and sets—made during such uncertain and fraught conditions—is a marvelous feat of its own. Dinklage’s deep-voiced singing timbre is the exact wavelength of The National’s frontman Matt Berninger, making it the perfect accompaniment to The National’s score. Telluride attendee <a href="https://letterboxd.com/meggamino/" rel="nofollow">Megan</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/meggamino/film/cyrano-2021/" rel="nofollow">screamed</a>, “what a PRODUCTION! Peter Dinklage is incredible and I had a delightful time.” Lauren Anne <a href="https://letterboxd.com/laughinglauren1/film/cyrano-2021/" rel="nofollow">declared</a> that, after viewing, her Letterboxd <a href="https://letterboxd.com/laughinglauren1/" rel="nofollow">account </a>is now “a Peter Dinklage FYC account.” And <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/" rel="nofollow">Jacob</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/film/cyrano-2021/" rel="nofollow">filed</a> a more mixed <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/film/cyrano-2021/" rel="nofollow">review</a> that concludes, despite some misgivings, that “it should be seen and admired for what it is: a beautiful tale of love.”<h3>King Richard</h3>Speaking of FYC (For Your Consideration) campaigns, there might not be a larger one for Best Actor than Will Smith’s turn as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in <a href="https://boxd.it/mJZ2" rel="nofollow">King Richard</a>. It might seem an odd choice to focus on the parent who helped train two of the greatest athletes of all time, but Richard Williams’ hype of his daughters was larger than life and behind that campaign was a complicated, stubborn man. It’s worth noting that the structure of the story puts Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and the girls’ mother and fellow coach Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis) also distinctly in the center of the story, as the limited window afforded to the biopic is during Venus’ time on the Junior pro circuit. Jon Bernthal also gets a good supporting role as (one of) her put-upon coach(es).Barry Jenkins praised Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film <a href="https://twitter.com/BarryJenkins/status/1433944926992142340" rel="nofollow">on Twitter</a> saying that a “LOTTA folks are gonna find a healing in this film and its glorious tribute to Black parenting Black family and just an unshakeable Black SPIRIT.” Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lilcooze/" rel="nofollow">Jeffrey Harlacker</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lilcooze/" rel="nofollow">calls it</a> “a big and inspiring crowd pleaser with a great cast and fierce and funny lead performance from Will Smith.”<h3>The French Dispatch</h3>While not a premiere, it’s worth noting just within how Telluride operates that Wes Anderson’s <a href="https://boxd.it/jLP8" rel="nofollow">The French Dispatch</a> had its North American premiere there with multiple screenings on Friday, despite not being listed on the initial list of films playing at the festival. Telluride loves to fill a few “TBA” slots with prestige titles that have debuted elsewhere and get attendees to shakeup their calendar plans with some fresh mountain high excitement. Because of this, I just wanted to highlight a few reactions straight from Colorado. First, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/trashpandafilms/" rel="nofollow">TrashPandaFilms</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/trashpandafilms/film/the-french-dispatch/" rel="nofollow">writes</a> that “what the film lacks in rich character development and story it makes up for it [by being] probably Wes Anderson’s greatest display of technical prowess in staging, blocking, production design, camera movement, editing and color grading.” And Lance St. Laurent, who is all up and down the mountain at every screening, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/the-french-dispatch/" rel="nofollow">raves that</a> “the anthology [format] allows Anderson to indulge any and all visual ideas in his playbook. An extraordinarily dense film, even for him, and nothing short of a flex from one of the American masters.”Today marks the North American debuts of Pablo Larraín’s <a href="https://boxd.it/qPMG" rel="nofollow">Spencer</a> and Jane Campion’s <a href="https://boxd.it/m99E" rel="nofollow">The Power of the Dog</a>, mere days after their Venice debuts (so, too will another film that just debuted at Venice be announced at Telluride, likely today; no, not Dune). Stay tuned for that and more in my next dispatch from this wonderful festival.<a href="https://letterboxd.com/brianformo/" rel="nofollow">Follow Brian</a> on Letterboxd.

<h3>Festiville correspondent Brian Formo returns to the mountains to experience new films from Mike Mills, Joe Wright, Kenneth Branagh and Reinaldo Marcus Green, along with a bespoke archival selection from Telluride bestie Barry Jenkins. </h3>

The Telluride Film Festival is a unique experience among film festivals. The Colorado town is nestled in a valley at 8,000 feet, surrounded by mountains that hit just north of 14,000 feet in elevation. Like the location, the festival is tucked in between two other massive film festivals, Venice and TIFF, that invite millions of eyes via a high attendance of press, red carpets and fan attention. 

Telluride, on the other hand, is almost entirely reserved for the people who make it to the mountains. It does not even announce the films that are playing until the day before kick-off. This is the <a href="https://boxd.it/dg4CI">48th edition</a> of the festival (after one cancelled last year due to Covid-19) and every person you meet in town over Labor Day weekend, from vacationers to filmmakers, has either been coming for multiple years or, if it’s their first time, vows instantly to come back. 

The surrounding mountain peaks and the clear starry nights beg you to look up to your surroundings just as often as you look at the screen. All the venues are functional town spaces—like a high school gymnasium or an old Elk’s Lodge—that are re-shaped into 400-650 capacity theaters. The stars of the movies order coffee in front of you at local shops and dress about as normally as celebrities can, happy to shed the glitz and embrace the mountain life for a few days before hitting the awards circuit for months on end. 

All attendees stand in line together, giving ample time for people to talk about the films they’ve seen with queue-mates, who could be industry professionals, vacationing individuals, or fest volunteers. The vibes from morning until night are more relaxed, more interconnected, and more granola than any other film festival.

<h3>Guest Director: Barry Jenkins</h3>

I mention all of this because I am happy to return for my third Telluride film festival, particularly after a year off from festivals due to the pandemic (note: vaccination is required for a pass; daily tests for screenings without a pass). It’s my first time here since 2016. But I also mention this because this year the guest director is the Academy Award winner <a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/barry-jenkins/">Barry Jenkins</a>, who has been attending Telluride since 2002, when he was a student filmmaker. 

Jenkins returned for many years as a volunteer, then eventually as an emcee to introduce some of the films, and as a short film programmer. He’d been known to the town and festival-goers for fourteen years by the time the film that launched him to international stardom, <a href="https://boxd.it/d6bE">Moonlight</a>, had its premiere here. I went to A24’s post-premiere party for Moonlight, and it was one of the most magical Telluride moments of my life. I remember Mahershala Ali’s stunning, long, patterned black-and-white jacket being the best fashion I’ve ever seen in person with my own two eyes. Everyone was approachable and high on life. There was a sense in that bar in September 2016 that some lives were going to be very different from that night forward (the sheer scope of how different was beyond anyone’s expectations). 

Five years and a Best Picture Oscar later, Jenkins is back in Telluride, this time introducing films that he himself selected for their artistic importance. Although there are big awards contenders having either their world premiere here or their first showings in North American venues after their Venice or Cannes debuts, I made Jenkins’ selection of <a href="https://boxd.it/8bHg">West Indies</a> my first Telluride 2021 pick. West Indies is a 1979 Algeria-Mauritania allegory-musical in the French language, directed by Med Hondo. There are few prints left in the world. Jenkins’ first ask, or rather test, of the festival when they approached him to curate films was to track down a 35mm print of Hondo’s film. 

At the introduction of West Indies, Jenkins posed for a photograph with the 2021 students attending for the symposium and noted that some friends he’d made in 2002 at his own student symposium were attending the festival this year, too. He commended Telluride co-director <a href="https://letterboxd.com/producer/julie-huntsinger/">Julie Huntsinger</a> (a long-time Jenkins champion) on tracking down a print, but while spirits were high in the room, Jenkins wanted all to know that what they were about to see “was released 42 years ago and it was buried. Why? Because it’s a fucking grenade... It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see. And when we look at cinema history we don't get to see shit like West Indies. We erase this work, we erase these people, so I’m so glad Telluride found the print, they’re going to show the print, and y’all motherfuckers showed up [to make it] your first movie here.” 

The film is a beguiling polemic, set entirely on one stage even though it stretches in time from the slave trade to modern Paris, and into the covert meetings of the powers-that-be who desire to make a new form of slavery out of immigration. The stage setting lets the audience know that time is merely dressing things up—plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. 

Watching this artifact surrounded by students, inside an old Masonic Lodge, was a transfixing, electric experience, complete with laughter and applause in the right spots. It’s a transgressive, darkly funny, and sharp-tongued cousin of such firebrand works as <a href="https://boxd.it/1gV4">Putney Swope </a>and <a href="https://boxd.it/1hUQ">I Am Cuba</a>. Hopefully, locating this print is but one step in the process of making the film more widely available. (The screening itself was sponsored by the Criterion Collection, so watch this space.) 

Jenkins’ other Telluride selections include two films that I also highly recommend—Claire Denis’ <a href="https://boxd.it/Y7g">Chocolat</a> and Isaac Julien’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1hfe">Looking for Langston</a>—in addition to a filmmaker spotlight on <a href="https://letterboxd.com/director/kahlil-joseph-1/">Kahlil Joseph</a>, Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz’s <a href="https://boxd.it/dKws">Garden</a>, and Aleksandr Sokurov’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1JQM">Russian Ark</a>, which played at Jenkins’ first Telluride in 2002, after its Cannes debut.

<h3>Belfast</h3>

Now to some Letterboxd reactions to a few world premieres at Telluride 2021. While I was watching West Indies, four films debuted at the same time, three of which I did see on the second day (more on them below). I missed Kenneth Branaugh’s <a href="https://boxd.it/tefG">Belfast</a>, starring Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and Judi Dench, so I will let Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/">Lance St. Laurent</a> chime in on the semi-autobiographical film about growing up in the capital of Northern Ireland during the fraught 1960s. <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/belfast/">Laurent compares</a> the film to Cuarón’s <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a> crossed with <a href="https://boxd.it/2bdy">Billy Elliot</a>, noting that it’s “warm, personal, and surprisingly robust stylistically.”

<h3>C’mon C’mon</h3>

Mike Mills’ <a href="https://boxd.it/nrI0">C’mon C’mon</a> is his much anticipated feature film follow-up to <a href="https://boxd.it/bqU6">20th Century Women</a>. Like that film, it’s a tender and honest portrait of parenting in a very specific era, except this one is set in the now, stars Joaquin Phoenix in his first role since winning the Best Actor Oscar for <a href="https://boxd.it/h4cS">Joker</a>, and is shot in black-and-white by Robbie Ryan. Phoenix plays a radio journalist who relieves his sister (Gabby Hoffman) from the parenting duties of her nine-year-old son (Woody Norman) while she has to try to convince her son’s bipolar dad (Scoot McNairy) to enter a psychiatric hospital. 

Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/gmfrieberg/">G M Frieberg</a> caught the film and <a href="https://letterboxd.com/gmfrieberg/film/cmon-cmon/">called it</a> a “lovely, small potatoes <a href="https://boxd.it/3178">Boyhood</a>-esque film with a great kid-actor performance and a very subdued and empathetic Joaquin.” <a href="https://letterboxd.com/leahcar/">Rachael</a> also highlighted Phoenix, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/leahcar/film/cmon-cmon/">writing</a> that this was her “favorite Joaquin performance in a while. Beautiful stuff.” <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/">St. Laurent</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/cmon-cmon/">declared</a> it “another winner from Mike Mills. Funny, moving, extraordinarily observant and lived in.” And <a href="https://letterboxd.com/mgramigna/">Matt Graminga</a> predicts, in his<a href="https://letterboxd.com/mgramigna/film/cmon-cmon/"> five-star review</a>, that “I have a feeling that in the coming months, a whole lot of people are about to have their heart strings mangled by Mike Mills and this entire cast.” 

I, too, found <a href="https://letterboxd.com/brianformo/film/cmon-cmon/">lots to love</a> in Mills’ personal work, which he introduced as coming from a conversation with his son during bath time. After such a volcanic performance from Phoenix in Joker, it’s nice to be reminded that he has the range and charm to be warmhearted as well. C’mon C’mon is also screening at the <a href="https://letterboxd.com/filmlinc/">New York Film Festival</a> later this month.

<h3>Cyrano</h3>

Joe Wright’s <a href="https://boxd.it/rnri">Cyrano</a> is an adaptation of the recent Off Broadway musical take on the oft-told tale of Cyrano, a poet who provides the words for a more traditionally handsome man to seduce the woman that he himself loves. Written by Erica Schmidt with original music by indie rock darlings The National, the musical adheres much closer to the structure of Edmond Rostand’s original 1897 play than more comedic adaptations like Steve Martin’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1TuG">Roxanne</a> and the current VOD offering, <a href="https://boxd.it/">It Takes Three</a>. 

There are sword fights, battles, gorgeous gowns, and the kind of chemistry you’d expect from the man behind <a href="https://boxd.it/qDf3h">the hand flex</a>. Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett reprise their stage roles as childhood friends; he, the titular Cyrano and she the object of his unavowed affection. Kelvin Harrison, Jr. plays Christian, who receives Cyrano’s wonderfully beautiful words with which to woo Bennett, and Ben Mendelsohn is the rich man who desires to be wed to her immediately (and, in doing so, could save her family from debt).

<a href="https://boxd.it/rnri">Cyrano</a> was shot on an Italian island in a bubble during 2020’s summer lockdown, and the sheer scale of costumes and sets—made during such uncertain and fraught conditions—is a marvelous feat of its own. Dinklage’s deep-voiced singing timbre is the exact wavelength of The National’s frontman Matt Berninger, making it the perfect accompaniment to The National’s score. Telluride attendee <a href="https://letterboxd.com/meggamino/">Megan</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/meggamino/film/cyrano-2021/">screamed</a>, “what a PRODUCTION! Peter Dinklage is incredible and I had a delightful time.” Lauren Anne <a href="https://letterboxd.com/laughinglauren1/film/cyrano-2021/">declared</a> that, after viewing, her Letterboxd <a href="https://letterboxd.com/laughinglauren1/">account </a>is now “a Peter Dinklage FYC account.” And <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/">Jacob</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/film/cyrano-2021/">filed</a> a more mixed <a href="https://letterboxd.com/jacobglazier/film/cyrano-2021/">review</a> that concludes, despite some misgivings, that “it should be seen and admired for what it is: a beautiful tale of love.”

<h3>King Richard</h3>

Speaking of FYC (For Your Consideration) campaigns, there might not be a larger one for Best Actor than Will Smith’s turn as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in <a href="https://boxd.it/mJZ2">King Richard</a>. It might seem an odd choice to focus on the parent who helped train two of the greatest athletes of all time, but Richard Williams’ hype of his daughters was larger than life and behind that campaign was a complicated, stubborn man. It’s worth noting that the structure of the story puts Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and the girls’ mother and fellow coach Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis) also distinctly in the center of the story, as the limited window afforded to the biopic is during Venus’ time on the Junior pro circuit. Jon Bernthal also gets a good supporting role as (one of) her put-upon coach(es).

Barry Jenkins praised Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film <a href="https://twitter.com/BarryJenkins/status/1433944926992142340">on Twitter</a> saying that a “LOTTA folks are gonna find a healing in this film and its glorious tribute to Black parenting Black family and just an unshakeable Black SPIRIT.” Letterboxd member <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lilcooze/">Jeffrey Harlacker</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lilcooze/">calls it</a> “a big and inspiring crowd pleaser with a great cast and fierce and funny lead performance from Will Smith.”

<h3>The French Dispatch</h3>

While not a premiere, it’s worth noting just within how Telluride operates that Wes Anderson’s <a href="https://boxd.it/jLP8">The French Dispatch</a> had its North American premiere there with multiple screenings on Friday, despite not being listed on the initial list of films playing at the festival. Telluride loves to fill a few “TBA” slots with prestige titles that have debuted elsewhere and get attendees to shakeup their calendar plans with some fresh mountain high excitement. Because of this, I just wanted to highlight a few reactions straight from Colorado. First, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/trashpandafilms/">TrashPandaFilms</a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/trashpandafilms/film/the-french-dispatch/">writes</a> that “what the film lacks in rich character development and story it makes up for it [by being] probably Wes Anderson’s greatest display of technical prowess in staging, blocking, production design, camera movement, editing and color grading.” And Lance St. Laurent, who is all up and down the mountain at every screening, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/lancestlaurent/film/the-french-dispatch/">raves that</a> “the anthology [format] allows Anderson to indulge any and all visual ideas in his playbook. An extraordinarily dense film, even for him, and nothing short of a flex from one of the American masters.”

Today marks the North American debuts of Pablo Larraín’s <a href="https://boxd.it/qPMG">Spencer</a> and Jane Campion’s <a href="https://boxd.it/m99E">The Power of the Dog</a>, mere days after their Venice debuts (so, too will another film that just debuted at Venice be announced at Telluride, likely today; no, not Dune). Stay tuned for that and more in my next dispatch from this wonderful festival.

<a href="https://letterboxd.com/brianformo/">Follow Brian</a> on Letterboxd.

Brian’s Diary—Telluride 2021: A Relaxed Start to Awards Season

<h3>A drug-cartel worker runs afoul of his boss and migrates to Canada, in Ivan Grbovic’s timely tale of star-crossed love and starting over.</h3>Making a long-awaited return to the Festival after his impressive TIFF ’11 debut, <a href="https://boxd.it/55PC" rel="nofollow">Roméo Onze</a>, Serbian Canadian director Ivan Grbovic has delivered a layered, timely exploration of longing, desire, and the vulnerability that migrant workers face working abroad. A collaboration with the production teams behind TIFF favourites <a href="https://boxd.it/Msm" rel="nofollow">Incendies</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M" rel="nofollow">Roma</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/wvcK" rel="nofollow">Drunken Birds</a> works as both sharp social critique and intimate drama.Willy (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), a Mexican drug-cartel worker, has made a fatal mistake: he has fallen in love with his boss’s wife, Marlena (Yoshira Escárrega). Both go into hiding separately. A desperate Willy believes Marlena has fled to Montreal. He eventually finds work as a seasonal migrant worker in rural Quebec, where he becomes entangled in his host family’s domestic turmoil, which is reflective of his own experience in the cartel.Weaving through the intersection of love, desperation, and the harsh realities of globalized labour, Drunken Birds reveals the humanity at the heart of all work, and how the tenuous relationships between employee and employer can quickly transform into exploited and exploiter. Punctuated by mesmerizing sequences of magical realism, moving performances from a diverse ensemble cast, and a captivating script from celebrated cinematographer and co-writer Sara Mishara, Grbovic’s film unleashes an unapologetic statement that will resonate universally, especially for those who have been compelled to leave home and start anew.Content advisory: racialized violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, references to domestic abuse<blockquote>The 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 9–18, 2021. Single tickets for all in-person and digital screenings go on sale September 4 for Members and September 6 for the public. Learn more at <a href="http://tiff.net/tickets" rel="nofollow">tiff.net/tickets</a>.</blockquote>

<h3>A drug-cartel worker runs afoul of his boss and migrates to Canada, in Ivan Grbovic’s timely tale of star-crossed love and starting over.</h3>

Making a long-awaited return to the Festival after his impressive TIFF ’11 debut, <a href="https://boxd.it/55PC">Roméo Onze</a>, Serbian Canadian director Ivan Grbovic has delivered a layered, timely exploration of longing, desire, and the vulnerability that migrant workers face working abroad. A collaboration with the production teams behind TIFF favourites <a href="https://boxd.it/Msm">Incendies</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/f69M">Roma</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/wvcK">Drunken Birds</a> works as both sharp social critique and intimate drama.

Willy (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), a Mexican drug-cartel worker, has made a fatal mistake: he has fallen in love with his boss’s wife, Marlena (Yoshira Escárrega). Both go into hiding separately. A desperate Willy believes Marlena has fled to Montreal. He eventually finds work as a seasonal migrant worker in rural Quebec, where he becomes entangled in his host family’s domestic turmoil, which is reflective of his own experience in the cartel.

Weaving through the intersection of love, desperation, and the harsh realities of globalized labour, Drunken Birds reveals the humanity at the heart of all work, and how the tenuous relationships between employee and employer can quickly transform into exploited and exploiter. Punctuated by mesmerizing sequences of magical realism, moving performances from a diverse ensemble cast, and a captivating script from celebrated cinematographer and co-writer Sara Mishara, Grbovic’s film unleashes an unapologetic statement that will resonate universally, especially for those who have been compelled to leave home and start anew.

Content advisory: racialized violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, references to domestic abuse

<blockquote>The 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 9–18, 2021. Single tickets for all in-person and digital screenings go on sale September 4 for Members and September 6 for the public. Learn more at <a href="http://tiff.net/tickets">tiff.net/tickets</a>.</blockquote>

#TIFF21 Platform: Ivan Grbovic's Drunken Birds

slim’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

FUCKNever felt this way watching a movie before. Completely sobbed on my basement floor at the end. Alfonso, I'm yours.More on a very special <a href="https://70mmpod.com" rel="nofollow">70mm podcast</a>.

Danny’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

protolexus’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

This is a magical film. Some how Cuarón has made me feel nostalgia for 1970s Roma when all I know of it is this movie. Pepe speaks of past lives lived and of his future, and somehow I feel as if I have lived here too because of this story.It's as if I am watching a dream of a life I could have lived. It is a hard life full of tragedy and despair, but it is so profoundly human that I can't help but be happy. I am happy watching it because it's not just Cleo living through it, but it is me and you. It encapsulates those fond memories of a time that felt unimportant when I was living through them, but when I look back I see: that is the time that helped me become me. It's no longer happy or sad, it's just the weight of being bearing down.Hear more on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CsfXwmlIzKJzZZBuspcur?si=jE3NSyKAT92UK14QOhiL0w&amp;dl_branch=1" rel="nofollow">70mm</a>.

Aaron Zani’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Thomas’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Deeply intense thing to watch … the camera is both a bystander that is simply reporting events and also at the same time an empathy machine … craftsmanship here isn’t showy but tender and kind and considerate toward its characters. The furniture store and hospital scenes are remarkable to have stacked on top of each other like that. I don’t think I’ll rush to rewatch it but it’s an overwhelming experience at times and I really wish I had seen it in theaters.<a href="https://boxd.it/jqOKW" rel="nofollow">Criterion Challenge 2023 Week 44</a>: Dysfunctional Families

Diamond’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Justin Perez’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Paul’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Simply put, this is one of the most refined films I’ve ever seen. While I saw this the week it came to Netflix, it somehow made more of an impact for me the second time around. It could be age, time, life events that made this connect to me on a much deeper level.Starting with the cinematography, I could watch hour after hour of these beautiful panning shots of the home, city, and the beach. There is just so much lighting and textural detail with shooting in black and white on such a high resolution camera as the Alexa 65, which was all proudly displayed in the opening credits. Some of the compositions of the forest being on fire, Cleo overlooking the violence occurring in the streets while shopping, and the entire beach sequence was all just jaw dropping beautiful.In terms of acting, I’m still so floored that Cuaron directed non-actors to such emotional depths that gained Yalitza Aparicio to an Oscar nomination. I truly forgot some of the bigger story beats that unravel and some of the scenes would normally be suited for highly trained actors, but would have loved to see the communication and direction notes between the two of them. It’s outstanding.I could go on and on, from the sound design, score, and production design were all so top notch. At the end of the day, it’s a deeply personal and poetic film that was a love letter of a director’s changing childhood in 1970’s Mexico, and we’re all so lucky that we were guided in such care and clarity.

mosheal’s diary entry for Roma

KK’s diary entry for Roma

<a href="https://letterboxd.com/kk/film/roma-2018/" rel="nofollow">Previous Review - Updated</a>

KK’s ★★ diary entry for Roma

<blockquote>Updated Thoughts:</blockquote>Keeping this older review up because I mostly agree with everything I said, but adding some new context and feelings on a second watch.I think a large portion of my distaste with Roma comes from personal experience with "The Nanny" as a profession. It's not unlikely that a lot of my vitriol from the previous time I watched this, was reflective of that. To be a nanny is a uniquely shitty, dehumanizing position that places you in quasi-family relationships but without the security of BEING in a family. A constant sense of fear that you're replaceable (Because you ARE)To get far too real: My wife spent YEARS of her life as a charge to a family with two kids who she grew to love as her own and then that family threw her out without much notice. It is impossible for me to separate the pain she felt (And still feels) from my view of this film.The idea that Cleo (And my wife) had to deserve the families love through selfless life-threatening devotion just rings hollow. A woman forced to raise another family and constantly reminded of her place in it (Pick up that dog shit, stop watching TV with us and go get some tea, don't use the electricity). How much of this romanticized view of his companion is just rose-tinted glasses of a woman who lived in constant fear of losing her children (all over again?!)And whereas other films of our era break down these issues and refute them for the abuses they are - Roma just lazes around in it. I can't shake the feeling that this seems less like some honest creative endeavor and more like a years-too-late apology to Liboria.I also can't shake my own (very) personal distaste of the film. Sorry to disappoint.---------------------------------------<blockquote>Old Review</blockquote>An undeniable technical marvel and one of the most beautifully shot movies I've ever seen that completely fails to justify its own existence.This feels like hitting all the points of a hollow sadness for no purpose other than provoking a vague empathy. It serves nothing and has no meaning. It feels like it means something, but that feeling is seemingly obfuscative for no reason but the movies lack. When I say "Make Me Feel Something", I expect something a little more grand than "Vaguely Frustrated".If it's a drama, then why completely avoid any sense of prescient theme or subject matter. If it's biographical, then why not try to cut out much of the screenplay aimlessness. And most importantly to me, if it's supposed to be a slice o' life why not make it something beyond a painful slog with a irredemptive ending.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------This movie made me cry only by making me think about how awful it would be if (That Event) happened to me. That's not even provoking empathy at that point, that's parading pain for the purpose of easy tears.There is a point of pain in Cinema if it is to be an honest portrayal of life in all its facets. This is not that.A waste of my time.

𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Marcie’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

After watching this when it first came out, I never thought I would come back to it. It’s a beautiful movie, but there’s so much pain throughout, it’s at times a difficult watch. There were specific moments that have stuck with me over the last three years. I am so thankful I decided to watch this again, instead of feeling mostly dread, there were many scenes that left me in awe. The cinematography is breathtaking, the black and white is stunning. On this watch I focused on the details in each frame. The beach scene still makes me cry, and is one of the most genuine and lovely things I’ve ever seen in a film. Roma is a reminder that life is full of heartbreaks, and to embrace the moments that help us heal.

Alex’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

The technical prowess on display here is stunning. Cinematography, sound design, direction...wow. This needs to be seen in a theatre, which makes it tragic that most people won’t be able to do so.Could’ve used a bit tighter pacing in the first half for my liking, but the third act absolutely makes up for it. Devastating and heartwarming in equal measure. Just astounding. Bonus points awarded for there being so many dogs in this

Christian Gutiérrez’s diary entry for Roma

I can confirm that rubbing your stomach and saying, “Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana…” cures stomach aches. Watching Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma is to watch a filmmaker in complete control of his craft. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and he knows exactly how he needs to structure the story to leave an incredible impression on the audience. Every movement of the camera, every framing of the actors shows Cuarón’s empathy not only for the story he is telling, but for the characters as well.I watched this with my parents who immigrated from Nicaragua in the late-1970s due to the start of the Nicaraguan Revolution. Throughout, they kept commenting how much it reminded them of the households they grew up in, the streets they walked, my mom even began to hum the song Cleo was playing on the radio towards the beginning and commented, “it’s been years since I’ve heard this.”My mom also started to tear up during the scene when Sofia comes home tipsy and tells Cleo, “siempre estaremos sola…”. My mother lost my grandfather in her mid-20s (I never met him) so I’m sure she immediately thought of my grandma who’s still trekking today, in the same house my grandfather left her almost 30 years ago (I know I did). Obviously the most painful sequence to watch was the the student protests. It very much reminded my parents of their escape from Nicaragua, and the countless friends and family they lost during the revolution who stayed. In a way what happens shortly after that with Cleo is a reminder of all the countless innocent lives lost because of revolutions. I got a taste of it myself in 2018, when my mom, and a couple of friends of mine went to Nicaragua. Though none of us were hurt since we were there at the very beginning of it, the sounds of the gunshots, people protesting, fireworks going off at night, brought up the trauma my mother had dealt with for years. Suddenly, the stories that I had heard from them that up to that point were just tales in some far off land were now reality.I’m not sure what Cuarón's intention was with this film, and to a certain extent it may not matter as it’s all relative, but I would like to think this day in the life of a family serves as a portrait of not solely showing differences in socio-economic status, but the harsh reality that many, including my parent’s home country of Nicaragua, faced in the 70s, and many Latin American countries face to this day.

McKenzie Wilkes’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

<a href="https://linktr.ee/criterionconnection" rel="nofollow">THE CRITERION CONNECTION 107</a>

For the first hour and forty-five minutes I was pretty convinced this would just be a calming, meditation of a film that is showing us a sliver of a young woman’s life through the memories of the auteur. Undeniably beautiful, yes, but overall lacking in exciting narrative action. I found myself absorbing it, taking it for what it is - then the scene in the hospital happened. It was done in a single take?! My mind is blown. The fact that Yalitza Aparicio’s acting debut was this film and she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards should tell you all you need to know. An absolute gut punch of profound emotion and heartache, then it goes on to really stick the landing. A beautiful film.

Dylan’s diary entry for Roma

Kev’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Sean Allen’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

All roads lead to RomaWhen I first saw Roma I thought it was pretty good. I thought the cinematography was impressive and the lead actress really shined. I had no problem with it winning best picture, but mostly because I love Alfonso Cuaron. But when I first saw Roma I wasn’t a dad. I was only a few months away from finding out I would be a dad. And I can say the last two years have changed the way I view Roma quite a bit. Not as much in the ways that I relate as a father, but in how I’ve seen my wife as a mother. She would attest that no matter anyone’s experience, childbirth is hard and pays a toll on your mind and body. The resilience I see in Cleo is the same I see in my wife. She might have rather watched some “pyramid scheme crime documentary” in bed for 20 minutes and fall asleep than watch Roma….But she trips over the dog and wrestles a toddler all day. And then still has time to listen to me talk about movies and podcasts all night. From the opening long take of Cleo washing away the remnants of what we come to find is likely dog shit, we get a view of a plane overhead as the ‘waves’ crash along the tile. Cuaron manages to turn what I thought at first to be a mundane existence to feel truly magical as the camera pans and glides through Cleo’s life. There are comparisons to be drawn to Children of Men in how everything begins to feel like a dance between the lens of the camera and the action on screen. We stay locked in on Cleo as she goes about her days, caring for every need of this family. But while Children of Men is overflowing with bleakness; Roma offers a light at the end of the tunnel.There is still suffering. More personal and harrowing than Cuaron’s previous films, mostly in the way that it is now a story that I connect to deeply. Although all of this pain leads eventually to one of the most beautiful moments to ever be captured on film. As Cleo emerges from the Ocean in the final act she is pulled by her two children. She may have not given birth to Sofi and Paco but they love her. And she loves them. And as they fall to the sand and are joined by the rest of their family there’s a sense of peace that washes over me knowing that Cleo is not alone.She will live another day with her arms filled with blankets as she climbs the steps to her rooftop and basks in the comfort that even in death there is peace. And as with the opening credits, we see a plane overhead. One that Cleo is climbing up towards rather than staring down at through the soapy water that washes back and forth. 1/106 on <a href="https://boxd.it/b9EHs" rel="nofollow">2018 Ranked</a>

Sean Allen’s ★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Hyperrealistic but does that make it any more interesting? I'd take Children of Men any day of the week

Yoli_Zina’s diary entry for Roma

"Estamos Solas...No matter what they tell you, we women are always alone."Coming soon to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1b6Y3LMCBvfa8qUqfpajch?si=p6JErfTvSSGOCUbKiFzP6A" rel="nofollow">Reel Latinas Takeover!</a>

Yoli_Zina’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

There are so many layers to this film, and so much beauty. I originally saw this film knowing nothing about it...it had just gotten dropped on Netflix, and it somehow just caught my eye and I threw it on. From the opening scene of the soapy water on the concrete tiles, I was enthralled, and I remember just being sucked in and completely captivated by this film. The pacing was slow, yet perfect at the same time. Later, I found out/realized that the director was the same filmmaker who had made “Y tu Mamá También”, one of my all-time favorite films. 👀 Vry cool. I really wanted to share “Roma” with my mom, because I knew she would love it too...so I took that opportunity to take her to see it in a theater on the big screen. Truly amazing. Highly recommend jumping on any opportunities to view this film on a big screen! (And yes, my my mom loved it también.) 😉 “Roma” is such a beautiful, personal snapshot of a time and place...it breathes with life, forever immortalized as magic on film.

Ben Jessup’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Brandon’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

So beautiful on every level. 😭😭😭

Emily’s ★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Struggled with this rating a bit. This film is clearly a technical masterpiece: it's beautiful to look at, every sweeping pan a delightful visual exercise, and every chaotic soundscape an additional, invisible character. However, while there are some truly spectacular moments in the film (I'm speaking of the wildfire scene, the crib shopping scene, and the closing beach sequence) there's also a lot here that didn't really connect with me.I found myself thinking a lot about Jeanne Dielmann and "slice of life" films. While Jeanne is restrained and quiet, this is chaotic and loud masquerading as such. I don't know if that works for me as well as it did in Jeanne. It felt to me that at least the first half dragged a bit, which is keeping me from putting it on the same level as something like Jeanne or even Andrei Rublev, even though the vibes are certainly there (the wildfire scene!).I did love seeing the city as an additional character in the movie. Cleo walking through the streets was probably my favorite part of this, excepting the scenes I mentioned earlier. And I gotta hand it to Alfonso, he understands that all true feminist icon imagery begins and ends with the sea.

Sander’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

<a href="https://boxd.it/8epbY" rel="nofollow">Autumn Rewatch Challenge 2020</a>10/20: Rewatch a film in a language other than English.I still pretend Roma is the Oscar winner for best picture in 2019. I adore this movie. Shot in beautiful black and white with amazing camera work by Alfonso Cuaron himself. A simple story, but so emotional and beautiful.

EwanS93’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Second viewing. Although it's superbly made and very powerful, I really struggle with it. I just find the slow-burn sadness so suffocating to the point where my own discomfort is all I'm aware of. It looks beautiful but please don't make me watch this again.

Lisa Fuller’s diary entry for Roma

Mikey P’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Camera pans; get inside me. Could watch the store scene and beach tracking into the sun on a loop all day. Waterworks in the back of that car. Skipped right through that labor. Will think about some scenes for the rest of my life.

groogruxdave’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

What do I even put here for this?! Dios Mio!

Andy Stone’s ★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Roma is easily the most beautiful film I've seen this year.The framed shots of Yalitza Aparicio walking down the street feel both like a grounded documentary and the most orchestrated studio-system set piece—somehow at the same time. All of the layers within frame give the film a distinct aesthetic with so much happening in the background. Without the added movement from camera pans, it really feels like many of the scenes could be ripped from a New York Times editorial on life in Mexico City. While this may be from the wide-angle lenses or the natural hair and makeup, you will believe in the actors' authenticity from the first five minutes.I might have spent too much time looking at the cinematography, and not enough time falling in love with the characters, because I never felt a full connection to the story itself. Still, Roma is definitely a film to experience and it deserved its Best Director win.Additional thoughts: - I liked the 5-second movie-within-a-movie of the astronaut as a nice nod to Cuarón's Gravity. - The flickering exposure made the movie feel like it was some restored classic. - I love that Cleo was able to balance perfectly after Professor Zovek's demonstration.

Enrico Casini’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Cuaron’s touch and visual appetite is evident in Roma, a beautifully shot B&amp;W slow burn that felt more often than not like a blend between old Italian neorealism, and a proper docu-fiction. The film centers around an upper-middle-class Mexican family and their housekeeper Cleo as she gets tossed and turned by the storm of events that hit family (and country) in the early 1970s.  In a slow crescendo of powerful and intimate moments, a large sense of injustice prevails as Cleo gets carried away, often powerless.  Cuaron touches a lot of fascinating topics but this exploration feels often just on the surface, and it’s mainly dictated by the course of the events.  Unfortunately I didn’t connect with many of the characters (exception made for Cleo), and I wished the story would intertwine even deeper with the events of the Mexican revolution.   Despite all this, Roma lives in the realm of the powerful and thought-provoking art, it inarguably deserved both the Golden Lion as well as the Academy Award for direction, cinematography, and foreign language film of the year in 2019. An intimate movie with some unforgettable moments (e.g. look at this poster). — Watched as part of the Letterboxd roulette. Thanks Ismael for the rec!

Mike Scott’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

The Month of Joy-lyThis month I am celebrating the movies that bring me joy.Why does this movie bring me joy? Because it’s beautiful. The visuals, the acting, the story and of course the beach scene. I get emotional every time I watch it. It’s not always happy (one scene in particular is heartbreaking) but it’s real, it’s impactful and it’s moviemaking at its finest.

Much obliged to the 70mm podcast for giving me a reason to revisit this one because, frankly, this is a beautiful movie. The director put his heart into this 100% and the result is nothing short of perfect. I cannot fathom how I did not appreciate this one this much after my first viewing. The acting is tremendous. The camera work is superb. The story takes you on a journey that will invoke just about every emotion you have. I laughed and I cried multiple times during this rewatch and I really don’t know what else to say at this point. This is now an all-timer for me.

Jess’s diary entry for Roma

Mike’s ★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Nothing to say, really. It was good but I think a lot of the meaning/history/culture was lost on me.

Pat Healy’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

amazing that anti-movie-theater discourse exists when shots like the massacre or beach or stillbirth scenes exist. This was primarily experienced by most of the world on Netflix? Not like I had a bad time with my Criterion blu-ray at home, but it's deeply fucked up that this is the default way to experience this

mike’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Kea Modiselle’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

This movie is perfection there’s no other way to say it. Truly Cuarón’s centrepiece.

Kea Modiselle’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

This entire movie was just me asking HOW DID THEY DO THAT SHOT.

notjadakiss’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Cuarón with another beautiful movie. Between this, Children of Men &amp; Y Tu Mamá También, I’d be hard pressed not to consider him for my favorite director. Gravity is great too!  I need to sit on this for awhile before I add anything about it.

Rob Lucas-Stevens’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Sean Cohen’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Roma

Past all the technical master work, and the ability to make scenes feel so alive through movement and stillness, is a story about home. What it means to be home, leave home, lose home, or see home from a distant perspective.

jasher’s ★★★★ diary entry for Roma

stark naked man showing off his sword skills &gt; fully-clothed man with absolutely no sword skillsIn all seriousness, this film captures emotion like nothing I’ve seen before, and those one-takes are masterful.

crash’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Roma

Just an incredibly well made film. Alfonso Cuarón is a wizard, Harry.