Solo con tu Pareja (1991)

Alfonso Cuaron's first feature is a raucous romantic comedy. He has come a long way since then. It's almost hard to believe that he has excelled in so many different genres, everything from rom-com to Harry Potter to art film to space epic. This movie is kind of darkly hilarious. It's sort of dated and pretty un-PC. There's a whole AIDS plot twist that is kind of funny but kind of cringy. The whole first act is executed perfectly.

Roma (2018)

Roma is beautiful. Mexico is beautiful. Life is beautiful. The gorgeous black and white cinematography (done by Alfonso Cuaron himself while Chivo was busy) evokes memory. Cuaron lovingly paints a picture of the Mexico City of his childhood, growing up in a middle class neighborhood in the 1970s, raised by his housekeeper. It is a very personal project, Cuaron supposedly drawing on memories from his childhood, how many of them actually happened I don't know. But such is memory, flowing back in a rush like a wave, or like buckets of water washing a stone driveway. The story starts very close, honing in on a family. But eventually he zooms out, to reveal political context in a changing Mexico affected by the Cold War (ironic that Cold War came out this year too). It is done so seamlessly and effectively really grounding the story in a particular time. Ultimately this movie is a love letter to the housekeeper that raised him. Housekeepers are not the supporting cast in this movie. No, Cleo is the heart of this movie, and the glue keeping this family together. Some of the most beautiful shots to highlight: inside the theater and the beach.