5 Oscar Contenders You Might Not Have Heard Of (But Should Pay Attention To)
2. ROMA
In the case of certain films, all that is needed to entice an audience is the director’s name. Some directors, because of their distinct style, previous filmography, or success with awards, have earned enough name recognition to get their film produced. Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón is one of them. With six nominations across his filmography and two wins from his previous film Gravity, Cuarón is something of an Oscar powerhouse.
His newest film is a departure from the high concept science fiction he tackled with Children of Men and Gravity. Instead, he returns to intimate, slice of life drama with ROMA. Shot in black and white on 65MM Alexa cameras, ROMA tells the story of a year in the life of a middle class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Cuarón has described the film as “about a moment of time that shaped me, but also a moment of time that shaped a country. It was the beginning of a long transition in Mexico.” Not only will the film be visually sumptuous, but from the sound of it, should also be deeply personal and emotionally resonant.
The film is slated to bow at all of the major fall festivals, including Venice, New York, Toronto, and presumably Telluride. Netflix will release ROMA on December 14th. Details on a theatrical release remain to be seen.