21 Best Films Of The 21st Century By Genre

The first of two entries in this list from master director Alfonso Cuarón, with this personal ode to his childhood and his family's live in maid. While Cuarón's attention to detail in the framing of each shot is a delight for all cinephiles, it is the heart that beats throughout the film that makes the film so good. Yalitza Aparicio realises the generous spirit and grounded nature of Cleo, the indigenous live in housemaid for an upper class but dysfunctional Mexican family.

The film takes its time, especially in the first act, but the payoff in the latter acts makes it worth the while. The exploration of civic unrest in Mexico in the early 70's is linked seamlessly into the plot elements of Cleo's unexpected pregnancy and the class differential on display in our protagonist's working situation.

While the film looks like being another sombre tale of how bad life is for the lower rungs of society, Cuarón pulls a delightful late twist that turns the film into a celebration rather than just a damning critique. We are instead left to celebrate the strength of the human spirit and one person's ability to overcome adversity to help the more fortunate people around her.