My Mom inadvertently sparked my love and appreciation for Alfonso Cuarón's visionary work early. While I had some sense of his eye at the time, I, like her, was taken with the story of his first major film, A Little Princess. There was a pure wonder to the way Cuarón approached this touching tale that has stayed with me for years and I'm sure it's a big part of why it remains one of my Mom's very favorite movies (if not her favorite movie, period).

Years later, my Dad took me to see Children of Men and I was frankly astonished by Cuarón's masterful command over his craft in the wholly immersive and absolutely shattering picture. I genuinely became convinced that it would be the centerpiece to his brilliant legacy.

After finally setting aside some time to take in Roma, I can confidently say that Cuarón has done the unfathomable and surpassed the impossible bar he set with Children of Men. Roma is a poetic masterpiece of the highest order, the kind of film that comes along once or twice in a decade (if we're lucky).

Yalitza Aparicio is extraordinary as the center of the picture and her tender work here deserves to be recognized by the Academy and beyond. She's joined by a band of players that are so natural in their respective roles that it wasn't until the credits that I realized I was watching every frame of this assuming the characters were real people.

I know Cuarón's cinematography is always pristine but here it's so crisp and perfectly orchestrated that I'd be remiss to not give it a shout-out. The exquisite long takes he uses through-out are mesmerizing and give scenes the breathing room they need.

I could go on and on but I'm sure you either know yourself or have heard pretty much everything else I can say (yes, in case it didn't come across, he remains a truly unique auteur--somehow even more so now--and his writing here is terrific). This film is a very special gift we've been presented and I hope it continues to be appreciated for many years to come.

Roma isn't just Alfonso Cuarón's best film (even saying this is crazy to me), it's one of the best movies I've ever seen and quite simply the best film of 2018. In a just world, it would sweep at this year's Academy Awards.

Thank you, Mom and Dad. And thank you, Alfonso, for elevating this medium to unthinkable heights and inspiring every soul your films touch.