Movie Reviews

Green Book (2018)

1962, USA: Embarking upon a concert tour in the deep South, an affluent, sophisticated African-American pianist of renown hires an Italian-American bouncer in New York as his chauffeur. What ensues is the tale of a beautiful friendship based on mutual respect and acceptance. The plot might lack frills (it is, after all, a road-trip movie) but you’d be mistaken to take straightforwardness for humdrum. The two characters are extremely well written and superbly portrayed by the lead duo.

The film left me moved and overwrought with some splendid tropes: beautiful character evolution, exposition of deep prejudices in the deep south, and the heartbreaking underlying message that we all crave acceptance and validation yet not all of us are allowed “to belong”. While minor characters might seem like monotone clichés and the final scene a tad saccharine, the truth of the film rings out true and pertinent — even in 2019.

What divides us counts very little when we realize how similar we all are.

My rating: 4 / 5

Roma (2018)

1970s, Mexico: Cleo, an indigenous Mexican girl, works as the domestic help, cleaning, scrubbing, cooking and raising the kids of a family in the Roma quarter of Mexico City. The mother of the four children Sophia is on the brink of being abandoned by her own husband. The film is shot entirely in black and white and is based on deeply personal childhood memories of the director. Although the burn is slow, the visuals are stunning, the cinematography and camera-work breathtaking. So much so that Roma can feel like a pristine piece of cinematic art than a gritting tale of modern society. But it is both: the beguiling aesthetic cannot not take away from the fact that we are looking at socio-economic divisions, racial segregation, the place of indigenous groups, the role women play in shaping all of us. Whether they be mothers or caretakers, women are celebrated and honored in this universally recognizable narrative. In thanking his own mother and nanny, the director reminds us all of the strength in womanhood.

A special word for the lead, Yalizia Aparicio (first-time actor) who disarmingly wins hearts as Cleo with her tacit earnestness, innocence and warm sincerity.

This deceptively simple but profoundly humane film will remain with you long after you’re done watching it.


My rating: 4.5 / 5