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Review: Roma (2018)
This was a really good movie, very moving, very thoughtful. I would definitely recommend it as a solid drama film, with great acting and great storytelling overall.
Spoilers.
Story
This movie was about a domestic worker, Cleo, who worked for a big family with four kids. In the first part of the movie, we saw what her everyday routine was like.
She cleaned, cooked, and served the people of the house. There was another domestic worker, Adela, but she did not interact with the members of the family as much. I think she was responsible more for cooking and cleaning whereas Cleo was responsible for more of the personal errands and such.
Cleo worked hard, but her efforts were often overlooked. When the movie first started and we saw all of the names of the cast and crew on the scene, we were actually seeing Cleo wash the driveway. The very next morning it was already covered in dog poop, and Sofia yelled at her for it, because Antonio had gotten angry over it. It's kind of bullshit that Cleo cleaning the dog poop once a day very thoroughly isn't enough, because the family can't be bothered to teach their dog to behave better.
That being said, the family's anger with her was often very temporary, just as their love was. Sofia would get angry at Cleo for when she wasn't able to help her, but she would turn around and act super kindly to her. I will talk about this below, but I felt this was typical behaviour of an employer towards a dometic worker. Being kind to domestic workers made employers feel better about themselves, but when they couldn't help them with their own problems, suddenly it was their fault. It wasn't Cleo's fault that Barras wasn't trained, it wasn't Cleo's fault that Sofia was talking about her marital issues loudly and that Toño heard, etc. but it was easy to blame Cleo for not doing more.
Cleo did have a personal life. She was seeing Fermin, who was the cousin of Adel's boyfriend Ramon. However, once Cleo revealed to Fermin that she was possibly pregnant, he dipped, never to be seen again.
Luckily Sofia did help and support Cleo when she found out she was pregnant, though I have a feeling that sort of help fell in the "wanting to feel like a good person" category when it came to Sofia. After the baby was born, I could imagine Sofia getting angry at Cleo for not picking up after the family because her own baby needed caring for, etc.
Meanwhile, Sofia and Antonio's marriage was crumbling. There of course wasn't much that Cleo could do, but we saw how the dynamics of the family changed as Sofia let go of the possibility of Antonio returning and decided to become independent.
A backdrop for the movie included some clashes between students and a political group that Fermin happened to be a part of. I didn't really know much about such clashes and had to look them up. I realize that since this movie was based on Cuaron's life, I can imagine that he wanted to include these clashes to set the scene.
We didn't really see Sofia's journey. At first, we saw that she was desperate for him to return, trying to get the children to write him letters. Over time, however, we saw that she was moving on from him, getting rid of that humongous car that she struggled to park, taking the kids on vacation and telling them that she was going to start a new job to support them.
And it was implied that Cleo would be a big part of keeping their family together. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I'll talk more about this below.
If I had to sum up the story, I'd say it was a story of two simultaneous journeys (Cleo's and Sofia's) but through the eyes of Cleo. The story itself was very well written, very rich. I was never bored, and it was extremely well paced.
Production
I'll admit that I didn't love the black and white, but I understand why Cuaron might have wanted to do it. I personally didn't love the black and white, because I just felt that this world that we saw portrayed could have been very vibrant. I just wanted to see how the house might have looked like with colour, or what the villages might have looked like with colour. I also just like brightly lit movies. But I understand that Cuaron might have wanted to go with a black and white movie, because that might have been how he viewed his memories. By portraying things in black and white, I think it could evoke a more dreamlike quality, but then again, the way the movie was filmed was still very crisp, which is a little too real to be dreamlike.
Otherwise, the acting was great, I thought the casting was excellent too, especially for the littlest boy Pepe. He was really sweet v.v
Characters
Cleo
Cleo was our main character. She worked for this family, carrying out a lot of their personal errands, including waking up the kids, serving food, and taking Pepe to school. While the people of the house were away, she would clean.
In terms of Cleo's relationships with the family, her relationships with the kids were quite good. Kids are usually quite loving towards nannies and domestic workers, and they did adore Cleo, often telling her that they loved her. That being said, I don't think they are quite so aware of the fact that Cleo is their family's servant, and sometimes they forget that she is a human when they are demanding of her, or when they forget her. But they only act that way because of how the adults in the house treat Cleo.
Cleo interacted with Sofia the most. Sofia would give her orders on what to do, sometimes with lots of detail. Cleo basically did whatever Sofia wanted to do but was unable to or did not want to do, whether it was taking kids to school at a certain time, getting food, etc. As mentioned, when Cleo failed to read Sofia's mind, Sofia would get angry at her. But that anger was usually short lived, because soon after something else would come up and Sofia would go back to masquerading as a kind employer.
Cleo did interact with Teresa, Sofia's mother, but not a whole lot. They were a little distant. And Cleo rarely interacted with Antonio, seeing as how Antonio was barely at home to avoid his wife. When Cleo was in labour at the hospital, Antonio told her that she would be in good hands and that he couldn't go with her because Dr. Velez wouldn't let him. It was all very cringey, because he barely ever said a word to Cleo and he was in fact allowed to go in (as said by Dr. Velez later) but clearly he didn't want to extend that much kindness to Cleo.
Cleo was on friendly terms with Adela, the other domestic worker in the house. As mentioned, I think Adela was not responsible to be as "customer-facing" as Cleo was. Nonetheless, they had fun, doing stretching exercises in the evenings and joking. Adela also introduced Cleo to Fermin, who was her boyfriend Ramon's cousin.
Fermin was an intense person, but I think Cleo didn't think much of it. After all, he seemed sincere enough, right? But after Cleo said she was pregnant with his child, he immediately ghosted her, going so far as to threaten her physically when she tried to find him in th village.
So Cleo knew that she was alone in this world. She couldn't go home to her mother, seeing as how she was supposed to work to support her, and because of land disputes between the "Mexicans" and the indigneous peoples, her mother wasn't in a great position either.
After saving Paco and Sofi from the waves, Cleo admitted that she hadn't wanted her daughter to be born. After all, Cleo was in no position to raise a child, especially with no support from the father. Later as the family was going home, the children kept telling Cleo how they loved her. A long time ago, I remember watching a documentary/news piece on domestic workers in Canada. One of the ladies who was interviewed said that the kids she cared for always said that they loved her. And she would treat them like her own kids and tell them that she loved them too. Meanwhile, she had an adult son back in Southeast Asia whom she had barely seen because she had to care for this family. It was heartbreaking, but I have a feeling this is quite common.
In Cleo's case, I think that she does believe that the children's love for her is sincere. She cares for them too, especially seeing how she's so gentle with them. But I think she is also very aware that she is never truly going to be a part of the family, no matter what Sofia says. Something could happen and Sofia could fire her. I think that Cleo is welcoming of the love she gets, but she knows to keep her expectations lows.
But for now, living in this house with a family with four lovely children and an employer who wasn't terrible (Sofia would yell at her but Sofia was hardly the worst employer one has ever seen), and a friend at her side (Adela), maybe this is the best life she can have for herself.
Sofía
Sofia was the mother of the family, mother to four children. I assume she didn't work, and that she was a stay at home mom. I guess she was a bit of a socialite?
Anyway, through Cleo's eyes, it was easy to see that Sofia was going through marital problems with Antonio. The first time Antonio was seen on screen, he got into an argument with Sofia about the state of the home, and later on, Sofia chastised Cleo about the state of the home, but as mentioned above, Cleo was already doing her best, and the state of the home was really just an excuse for the fact that Sofia and Antonio were not getting along.
When Cleo got pregnant, Sofia said she would not fire her, and took her to see the doctor. Later on, Teresa took Sofia to go crib shopping for her baby. So at least they were sympathetic enough to help her get ready for the baby.
During that big party, Sofia was approached by another man, but she told him that she wasn't in the mood. I wonder if they had ever had an extramarital affair. At the very least, they probably had some sort of flirtatious relationship, only, Sofia had decided to stay in the marriage. So Sofia was not the perfect wife either, but she did what she had to do, at least for the kids.
Anyway, Sofia got her life back on track, coming to terms that her husband was not coming back. She traded the old unwieldy car for a new smaller one that was easier for her to drive. With a smile, she told the kids that it would just be them, and that she had found a new job and that they would work together. It was very hopeful and nice for sure.
For sure, Sofia sees Cleo as her assistant, someone who's supposed to help her do what she won't be able to do. It's something that Sofia expects from Cleo and something that Cleo has come to expect from Sofia. It's just how their relationship is.
I don't actually think that Sofia is a bad employer. She does yell at Cleo sometimes, but she was in times of stress then. Cleo maybe could have explained herself, but she would not have because she's just not that kind of person, and because explaining herself would only make Sofia angrier at her. I do think that Sofia is on the okay end of the spectrum when it comes to employers, she just isn't always aware of the power she has and how flippant she can be over someone like Cleo who is reliant on her for her wellbeing.
Antonio
Antonio was the father of the family. We only saw him a few times on screen. The first time, we saw that he and Sofia were arguing. He was loving to the kids, but maybe only on a superficial level, seeing as how he did nothing to explain their separation to the kids. He just dropped everything and left.
The next time we saw Antonio, he was with a girlfriend at the movies. One of the children was with their friends, and when the friend saw the father, the son insisted it was not his father, because he believed he was in Quebec.
The last time we saw Antonio, he was at the hospital when Cleo was in labour. He was giving her words of encouragement, holding her hand, etc. As I mentioned, it was very cringey because he had hardly ever interacted with Cleo. He had made up an excuse not to go with her, because he wasn't that close with her, and that excuse was dismantled when Dr. Velez said he could.
Anyway, Antonio was a good representation of how some employers like to pretend they are terrific angels to their domestic workers. It's for themselves much more than it is for the people they believe they're being nice to.
Children - Paco, Toño, Sofi, Pepe
The children are quite rowdy, after all, there are so many of them, but generally, they are good kids. None of them have been particularly bratty, only normal-kid bratty.
I did think that Pepe was very sweet. Maybe it's because Cleo and Pepe have a closer relationship because she personally takes him to school. But Pepe was always chatting with her and I do think that Cleo found it a little endearing.
Teresa
Teresa was Sofia's mother, but she wasn't super involved in the happenings of the house.
Teresa was visibly very distraught when Cleo went into labour, and it was very telling when Teresa didn't know anything about Cleo other than her first and last name. Not that Teresa would have needed to know that at the drop of a hat, but I don't doubt that they might not have had any records of such information either, because it was not of relevance. Cleo was just there to look after the house.
Cleo and Adela did mention that Teresa was "spying" on them, and saying that they were using too much electricity in the evenings, and that was why they did their stretches by candlelight in the night time. But otherwise, I also don't think that Teresa is really a bad person.
Adela
Adela was the other domestic worker. She introduced Cleo to Fermin, but she wasn't really involved in their relationship. Adela was in a relationship with Ramon, and they seemed to be on good terms.
As mentioned, I thought it was interesting that Adela rarely interacted with the family, as she was always passing food on to Cleo who would serve it during their mealtimes and such. I guess it was just their allocated roles.
Ramón
Ramon was Adela's boyfriend and Fermin's cousin. When Cleo went to find Fermin, Ramon was a bit dodgy, but since Cleo brought up Adela saying that Ramon would help, he gave in. Not gonna lie, I laughed when he was like "oh wait, I have to put on some pants."
I think Ramon is probably good to Adela, otherwise, he wouldn't have helped Cleo when she asked for help.
Fermín
At first, Fermin seemed like an okay dude. He was a little odd, seeing as how he was so into martial arts. But nothing about him suggested him to be a cruel person. As well, we can't deny that it's completely normal for Cleo to want human affection, romantic love, etc.
After Cleo told Fermin that she might have been pregnant, he seemed to accept that, but literally not a minute later, he said he was going to the washroom, and he never returned.
When Cleo went to find Fermin, he threatened her, saying he would beat her. So Cleo knew that was the end of things, and that if she was to have the baby, she would have zero support from the father.
Later on, it was revealed that Fermin was part of that political group who was fighting with the protesters. The
Themes
Domestic worker
Are domestic workers really part of the family? They are when it's convenient, when they give the parents strength. Sofia looked to Cleo to have her back when she promised the kids that they were going to strive forth with just them. But Cleo doesn't really have a choice in this. Cleo's paid to follow Sofia's orders.
In addition, Cleo was also easy to blame. As mentioned, Sofia blamed Cleo for not keeping the house clean with all the dog poop. However, she was already cleaning the poop once a day, and she was not in charge of training Barras. In addition, Sofia did not step back to realize that she was venting her frustrations onto Cleo who did nothing to affect her marriage.
When Cleo told Sofia about being pregnant, it was a very emotional conversation for sure. Sofia was clearly dealing with her broken marriage, and Cleo felt all alone in the world because her boyfriend had abandoned her. After Sofia assured Cleo that she would not fire her, and that she would take her to the doctor, Pepe had come over to show Sofia his picture and had asked Cleo what was wrong. It seemed to me that the mood had changed very fast, as Sofia was already praising Pepe about his picture, when Cleo herself was still reeling from the fact that she wouldn't be thrown out for getting pregnant. It's always "back to work" for Cleo.
When the family and Cleo returned from the trip to the beach, Paco and Sofi were telling Teresa about how they'd gotten lost in the ocean, and only after a while did someone say that Cleo had rescued them. Cleo is always an afterthought, someone that they pay attention to when there's free time.
I'm not saying necessarily that Cleo deserves to be treated like a member of the family because that can be uncomfortable for Cleo, but her position is very weird because she's such an ingrained part of the family life but only for monetary reasons.
I think that Cleo accepts her life with this family as being better than what she could have on her own. First of all, Fermin would not be a reliable husband. She'd either have an abusive husband or she'd be a single mom. Fermin was NOT a good candidate.
At Sofia's house, Cleo was at least fed and sheltered. If Cleo had a baby, I can see her priorities getting a little mangled because the family would expect her to put them first, but she would probably always put her daughter first. Without a baby, she could put all her efforts into caring for the family and ensuring that she had a place where she could stay.
It's not an ideal situation, but it made the most sense economically and in terms of security.
Politics
There were a few political disputes that were in the backdrop. One was the land disputes with the indigenous peoples. During the movie, we learned that Cleo's mom was forced off of her land because of such disputes.
At that huge party, there was a fire on the lands, but the way I saw it, I felt like the people (the rich families) were not very serious about putting out the fire. They treated it like a fun even for the kids to participate in. Meanwhile, these were the farmlands that people once lived and farmed on.
When Cleo visited Fermin, we saw that the place that they lived in was not very lush. A lot of the land was muddy.
Another political event that happened was that between the students and the right wing paramilitary group Los Halcones. I don't completely understand what the conflict was over, but in the movie, we saw how these clashes brought about much misery. It was very frightening when we found out that Fermin was one of Los Halcones and had threatened Cleo with a gun. Maybe we should have guessed, with how obsessed Fermin seemed to be with fighting.
Nonetheless, I think portraying such an event on screen showed us how the clashes might have affected your everyday person.
Overall
This was a really well written movie, well shot, well acted. Would recommend!
Spoilers.
Story
This movie was about a domestic worker, Cleo, who worked for a big family with four kids. In the first part of the movie, we saw what her everyday routine was like.
She cleaned, cooked, and served the people of the house. There was another domestic worker, Adela, but she did not interact with the members of the family as much. I think she was responsible more for cooking and cleaning whereas Cleo was responsible for more of the personal errands and such.
Cleo worked hard, but her efforts were often overlooked. When the movie first started and we saw all of the names of the cast and crew on the scene, we were actually seeing Cleo wash the driveway. The very next morning it was already covered in dog poop, and Sofia yelled at her for it, because Antonio had gotten angry over it. It's kind of bullshit that Cleo cleaning the dog poop once a day very thoroughly isn't enough, because the family can't be bothered to teach their dog to behave better.
That being said, the family's anger with her was often very temporary, just as their love was. Sofia would get angry at Cleo for when she wasn't able to help her, but she would turn around and act super kindly to her. I will talk about this below, but I felt this was typical behaviour of an employer towards a dometic worker. Being kind to domestic workers made employers feel better about themselves, but when they couldn't help them with their own problems, suddenly it was their fault. It wasn't Cleo's fault that Barras wasn't trained, it wasn't Cleo's fault that Sofia was talking about her marital issues loudly and that Toño heard, etc. but it was easy to blame Cleo for not doing more.
Cleo did have a personal life. She was seeing Fermin, who was the cousin of Adel's boyfriend Ramon. However, once Cleo revealed to Fermin that she was possibly pregnant, he dipped, never to be seen again.
Luckily Sofia did help and support Cleo when she found out she was pregnant, though I have a feeling that sort of help fell in the "wanting to feel like a good person" category when it came to Sofia. After the baby was born, I could imagine Sofia getting angry at Cleo for not picking up after the family because her own baby needed caring for, etc.
Meanwhile, Sofia and Antonio's marriage was crumbling. There of course wasn't much that Cleo could do, but we saw how the dynamics of the family changed as Sofia let go of the possibility of Antonio returning and decided to become independent.
A backdrop for the movie included some clashes between students and a political group that Fermin happened to be a part of. I didn't really know much about such clashes and had to look them up. I realize that since this movie was based on Cuaron's life, I can imagine that he wanted to include these clashes to set the scene.
We didn't really see Sofia's journey. At first, we saw that she was desperate for him to return, trying to get the children to write him letters. Over time, however, we saw that she was moving on from him, getting rid of that humongous car that she struggled to park, taking the kids on vacation and telling them that she was going to start a new job to support them.
And it was implied that Cleo would be a big part of keeping their family together. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I'll talk more about this below.
If I had to sum up the story, I'd say it was a story of two simultaneous journeys (Cleo's and Sofia's) but through the eyes of Cleo. The story itself was very well written, very rich. I was never bored, and it was extremely well paced.
Production
I'll admit that I didn't love the black and white, but I understand why Cuaron might have wanted to do it. I personally didn't love the black and white, because I just felt that this world that we saw portrayed could have been very vibrant. I just wanted to see how the house might have looked like with colour, or what the villages might have looked like with colour. I also just like brightly lit movies. But I understand that Cuaron might have wanted to go with a black and white movie, because that might have been how he viewed his memories. By portraying things in black and white, I think it could evoke a more dreamlike quality, but then again, the way the movie was filmed was still very crisp, which is a little too real to be dreamlike.
Otherwise, the acting was great, I thought the casting was excellent too, especially for the littlest boy Pepe. He was really sweet v.v
Characters
Cleo
Cleo was our main character. She worked for this family, carrying out a lot of their personal errands, including waking up the kids, serving food, and taking Pepe to school. While the people of the house were away, she would clean.
In terms of Cleo's relationships with the family, her relationships with the kids were quite good. Kids are usually quite loving towards nannies and domestic workers, and they did adore Cleo, often telling her that they loved her. That being said, I don't think they are quite so aware of the fact that Cleo is their family's servant, and sometimes they forget that she is a human when they are demanding of her, or when they forget her. But they only act that way because of how the adults in the house treat Cleo.
Cleo interacted with Sofia the most. Sofia would give her orders on what to do, sometimes with lots of detail. Cleo basically did whatever Sofia wanted to do but was unable to or did not want to do, whether it was taking kids to school at a certain time, getting food, etc. As mentioned, when Cleo failed to read Sofia's mind, Sofia would get angry at her. But that anger was usually short lived, because soon after something else would come up and Sofia would go back to masquerading as a kind employer.
Cleo did interact with Teresa, Sofia's mother, but not a whole lot. They were a little distant. And Cleo rarely interacted with Antonio, seeing as how Antonio was barely at home to avoid his wife. When Cleo was in labour at the hospital, Antonio told her that she would be in good hands and that he couldn't go with her because Dr. Velez wouldn't let him. It was all very cringey, because he barely ever said a word to Cleo and he was in fact allowed to go in (as said by Dr. Velez later) but clearly he didn't want to extend that much kindness to Cleo.
Cleo was on friendly terms with Adela, the other domestic worker in the house. As mentioned, I think Adela was not responsible to be as "customer-facing" as Cleo was. Nonetheless, they had fun, doing stretching exercises in the evenings and joking. Adela also introduced Cleo to Fermin, who was her boyfriend Ramon's cousin.
Fermin was an intense person, but I think Cleo didn't think much of it. After all, he seemed sincere enough, right? But after Cleo said she was pregnant with his child, he immediately ghosted her, going so far as to threaten her physically when she tried to find him in th village.
So Cleo knew that she was alone in this world. She couldn't go home to her mother, seeing as how she was supposed to work to support her, and because of land disputes between the "Mexicans" and the indigneous peoples, her mother wasn't in a great position either.
After saving Paco and Sofi from the waves, Cleo admitted that she hadn't wanted her daughter to be born. After all, Cleo was in no position to raise a child, especially with no support from the father. Later as the family was going home, the children kept telling Cleo how they loved her. A long time ago, I remember watching a documentary/news piece on domestic workers in Canada. One of the ladies who was interviewed said that the kids she cared for always said that they loved her. And she would treat them like her own kids and tell them that she loved them too. Meanwhile, she had an adult son back in Southeast Asia whom she had barely seen because she had to care for this family. It was heartbreaking, but I have a feeling this is quite common.
In Cleo's case, I think that she does believe that the children's love for her is sincere. She cares for them too, especially seeing how she's so gentle with them. But I think she is also very aware that she is never truly going to be a part of the family, no matter what Sofia says. Something could happen and Sofia could fire her. I think that Cleo is welcoming of the love she gets, but she knows to keep her expectations lows.
But for now, living in this house with a family with four lovely children and an employer who wasn't terrible (Sofia would yell at her but Sofia was hardly the worst employer one has ever seen), and a friend at her side (Adela), maybe this is the best life she can have for herself.
Sofía
Sofia was the mother of the family, mother to four children. I assume she didn't work, and that she was a stay at home mom. I guess she was a bit of a socialite?
Anyway, through Cleo's eyes, it was easy to see that Sofia was going through marital problems with Antonio. The first time Antonio was seen on screen, he got into an argument with Sofia about the state of the home, and later on, Sofia chastised Cleo about the state of the home, but as mentioned above, Cleo was already doing her best, and the state of the home was really just an excuse for the fact that Sofia and Antonio were not getting along.
When Cleo got pregnant, Sofia said she would not fire her, and took her to see the doctor. Later on, Teresa took Sofia to go crib shopping for her baby. So at least they were sympathetic enough to help her get ready for the baby.
During that big party, Sofia was approached by another man, but she told him that she wasn't in the mood. I wonder if they had ever had an extramarital affair. At the very least, they probably had some sort of flirtatious relationship, only, Sofia had decided to stay in the marriage. So Sofia was not the perfect wife either, but she did what she had to do, at least for the kids.
Anyway, Sofia got her life back on track, coming to terms that her husband was not coming back. She traded the old unwieldy car for a new smaller one that was easier for her to drive. With a smile, she told the kids that it would just be them, and that she had found a new job and that they would work together. It was very hopeful and nice for sure.
For sure, Sofia sees Cleo as her assistant, someone who's supposed to help her do what she won't be able to do. It's something that Sofia expects from Cleo and something that Cleo has come to expect from Sofia. It's just how their relationship is.
I don't actually think that Sofia is a bad employer. She does yell at Cleo sometimes, but she was in times of stress then. Cleo maybe could have explained herself, but she would not have because she's just not that kind of person, and because explaining herself would only make Sofia angrier at her. I do think that Sofia is on the okay end of the spectrum when it comes to employers, she just isn't always aware of the power she has and how flippant she can be over someone like Cleo who is reliant on her for her wellbeing.
Antonio
Antonio was the father of the family. We only saw him a few times on screen. The first time, we saw that he and Sofia were arguing. He was loving to the kids, but maybe only on a superficial level, seeing as how he did nothing to explain their separation to the kids. He just dropped everything and left.
The next time we saw Antonio, he was with a girlfriend at the movies. One of the children was with their friends, and when the friend saw the father, the son insisted it was not his father, because he believed he was in Quebec.
The last time we saw Antonio, he was at the hospital when Cleo was in labour. He was giving her words of encouragement, holding her hand, etc. As I mentioned, it was very cringey because he had hardly ever interacted with Cleo. He had made up an excuse not to go with her, because he wasn't that close with her, and that excuse was dismantled when Dr. Velez said he could.
Anyway, Antonio was a good representation of how some employers like to pretend they are terrific angels to their domestic workers. It's for themselves much more than it is for the people they believe they're being nice to.
Children - Paco, Toño, Sofi, Pepe
The children are quite rowdy, after all, there are so many of them, but generally, they are good kids. None of them have been particularly bratty, only normal-kid bratty.
I did think that Pepe was very sweet. Maybe it's because Cleo and Pepe have a closer relationship because she personally takes him to school. But Pepe was always chatting with her and I do think that Cleo found it a little endearing.
Teresa
Teresa was Sofia's mother, but she wasn't super involved in the happenings of the house.
Teresa was visibly very distraught when Cleo went into labour, and it was very telling when Teresa didn't know anything about Cleo other than her first and last name. Not that Teresa would have needed to know that at the drop of a hat, but I don't doubt that they might not have had any records of such information either, because it was not of relevance. Cleo was just there to look after the house.
Cleo and Adela did mention that Teresa was "spying" on them, and saying that they were using too much electricity in the evenings, and that was why they did their stretches by candlelight in the night time. But otherwise, I also don't think that Teresa is really a bad person.
Adela
Adela was the other domestic worker. She introduced Cleo to Fermin, but she wasn't really involved in their relationship. Adela was in a relationship with Ramon, and they seemed to be on good terms.
As mentioned, I thought it was interesting that Adela rarely interacted with the family, as she was always passing food on to Cleo who would serve it during their mealtimes and such. I guess it was just their allocated roles.
Ramón
Ramon was Adela's boyfriend and Fermin's cousin. When Cleo went to find Fermin, Ramon was a bit dodgy, but since Cleo brought up Adela saying that Ramon would help, he gave in. Not gonna lie, I laughed when he was like "oh wait, I have to put on some pants."
I think Ramon is probably good to Adela, otherwise, he wouldn't have helped Cleo when she asked for help.
Fermín
At first, Fermin seemed like an okay dude. He was a little odd, seeing as how he was so into martial arts. But nothing about him suggested him to be a cruel person. As well, we can't deny that it's completely normal for Cleo to want human affection, romantic love, etc.
After Cleo told Fermin that she might have been pregnant, he seemed to accept that, but literally not a minute later, he said he was going to the washroom, and he never returned.
When Cleo went to find Fermin, he threatened her, saying he would beat her. So Cleo knew that was the end of things, and that if she was to have the baby, she would have zero support from the father.
Later on, it was revealed that Fermin was part of that political group who was fighting with the protesters. The
Themes
Domestic worker
Are domestic workers really part of the family? They are when it's convenient, when they give the parents strength. Sofia looked to Cleo to have her back when she promised the kids that they were going to strive forth with just them. But Cleo doesn't really have a choice in this. Cleo's paid to follow Sofia's orders.
In addition, Cleo was also easy to blame. As mentioned, Sofia blamed Cleo for not keeping the house clean with all the dog poop. However, she was already cleaning the poop once a day, and she was not in charge of training Barras. In addition, Sofia did not step back to realize that she was venting her frustrations onto Cleo who did nothing to affect her marriage.
When Cleo told Sofia about being pregnant, it was a very emotional conversation for sure. Sofia was clearly dealing with her broken marriage, and Cleo felt all alone in the world because her boyfriend had abandoned her. After Sofia assured Cleo that she would not fire her, and that she would take her to the doctor, Pepe had come over to show Sofia his picture and had asked Cleo what was wrong. It seemed to me that the mood had changed very fast, as Sofia was already praising Pepe about his picture, when Cleo herself was still reeling from the fact that she wouldn't be thrown out for getting pregnant. It's always "back to work" for Cleo.
When the family and Cleo returned from the trip to the beach, Paco and Sofi were telling Teresa about how they'd gotten lost in the ocean, and only after a while did someone say that Cleo had rescued them. Cleo is always an afterthought, someone that they pay attention to when there's free time.
I'm not saying necessarily that Cleo deserves to be treated like a member of the family because that can be uncomfortable for Cleo, but her position is very weird because she's such an ingrained part of the family life but only for monetary reasons.
I think that Cleo accepts her life with this family as being better than what she could have on her own. First of all, Fermin would not be a reliable husband. She'd either have an abusive husband or she'd be a single mom. Fermin was NOT a good candidate.
At Sofia's house, Cleo was at least fed and sheltered. If Cleo had a baby, I can see her priorities getting a little mangled because the family would expect her to put them first, but she would probably always put her daughter first. Without a baby, she could put all her efforts into caring for the family and ensuring that she had a place where she could stay.
It's not an ideal situation, but it made the most sense economically and in terms of security.
Politics
There were a few political disputes that were in the backdrop. One was the land disputes with the indigenous peoples. During the movie, we learned that Cleo's mom was forced off of her land because of such disputes.
At that huge party, there was a fire on the lands, but the way I saw it, I felt like the people (the rich families) were not very serious about putting out the fire. They treated it like a fun even for the kids to participate in. Meanwhile, these were the farmlands that people once lived and farmed on.
When Cleo visited Fermin, we saw that the place that they lived in was not very lush. A lot of the land was muddy.
Another political event that happened was that between the students and the right wing paramilitary group Los Halcones. I don't completely understand what the conflict was over, but in the movie, we saw how these clashes brought about much misery. It was very frightening when we found out that Fermin was one of Los Halcones and had threatened Cleo with a gun. Maybe we should have guessed, with how obsessed Fermin seemed to be with fighting.
Nonetheless, I think portraying such an event on screen showed us how the clashes might have affected your everyday person.
Overall
This was a really well written movie, well shot, well acted. Would recommend!