Alfonso Cuarón's drama-behind-the-drama has all of the trappings of a semi-autobiographical period piece.  Meticulously recreated clothing, cars, furniture, street settings, and contemporaneous political turmoil are set largely in the eponymous neighborhood as a failing marriage takes its toll on a family.  But of course the real protagonist is one of the maids, Cleo (played by Yalitza Aparicio) who faces her own obstacles of poverty, abandonment, unwanted pregnancy, and murderous rioters.  Her unassuming strength allows her to persevere while simultaneously serving as caretaker, savior, and backbone of her household.

If you'd like to watch ahead for next week's film, we will be discussing and reviewing Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express (1994) with special guest Michael Patrick Jann of The State.