Alfonso Cuarón has begun making ripples as one of the most prominent directors of the decade, most recently taking home the Academy Award for Best Director in Netflix’s Roma. A notable thing about Cuarón is the sheer variety throughout his filmography, complicating the notion of auteurship. Although there is certainly some clear thematic patterning and favoured camera techniques throughout Cuarón’s films (the iconic long shot, for example), the genres range immensely. From independent Mexican road movies to child fantasy films, Cuarón’s ability to adapt to all genres is beyond applaudable.
It’s understandable that with all this diversity, it’s hard to know where to begin. If you are new to Cuarón, and interested in watching some more of his films, we’ve compiled a list of the five best Cuarón movies to sink your teeth into.
5. Gravity (2013)
Cuarón transitioned from independent work to Hollywood because of his success in Mexican cinema. Gravity is a prime example of this. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, we follow two astronauts whose shuttle is destroyed, leaving them without contact to Earth for rescue.
Smashing at the box office (most likely because of its stunning visuals) Cuarón utilises the senses -including sound (or the lack of)- to continually stun the audience with shock and suspense. A gripping and astounding sci-fi, Cuarón masterfully engulfs the sheer vastness of space while acutely building the tension around Bullock’s fate.
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
It seems strange that a director of such distinct style should apply his talent to a one-off fantasy film, mid-franchise. But we’re sure glad he did, as the third instalment of the infamous Harry Potter series is generally considered the be the best, by kids and critics alike. With a prisoner having escaped the most dangerous prison in the wizarding world, Harry must decide whether to hide or seek out the man who betrayed his family.
Cuarón shows us how great filmmaking can come in the form of any genre. Including kids films. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is distinguishable from its predecessors because of its noticeably bleaker tone. However, Cuarón’s use of humour and nostalgia prevents it becoming becoming to dark for family viewing. Cuarón carefully tailors the lighting and camera angles to develop not just this film, but the franchise as a whole.
3. Roma (2018)
Winning three Academy Awards (Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography) after seven nominations, Roma was a critical hit to start the new year with. Going back to his roots in Mexican cinema, Cuarón tells the story of Cleo, a domestic cleaner for a wealthy family in Mexico City. The film is intensely sincere, emotionally enveloping the audience into Cleo’s quiet yet turbulent world. Cuarón with his trademark ability to showcase both the smaller and larger world, achieves the broadened political cityscape while focusing on the intricately personal.
Don’t let the Netflix production put you off — this is not just another formulaic drama hammered out for streaming. The black-and-white masterpiece is perceptive, symbolic and, above all, Cuarón in a nutshell.
2. Children of Men (2006)
Enter: Hollywood. But not as we know it. Infertility has put an inevitable end to mankind, but there is one last hope if our anti-hero can pull himself together and save the human race. Cuarón’s dystopian classic is acclaimed for its acute use of cinematography, used to encapsulate the threat of Earth’s grisly future. The infamous tracking shot, over six minutes long, is just one of the many impeccable examples of clever storytelling.
Children of Men has been analysed by film buffs perpetually since its release, gripping audiences despite its commercial bust. Since failing at the box office, Children of Men has resurged as an iconic piece of modern cinema, perhaps due to its unsettling relevance in today’s political and economic climate. A sci-fi nativity with political overtones, this movie exhibits a balance between Cuarón’s foreign indie flicks and fantasy blockbusters. But even if the symbolic references and political agenda escape you, it’s still worth watching for those edge-of-your-seat thrills.
1. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
In what was arguably the ignition of Cuarón’s success, Y Tu Mamá También traces the lives of two rebellious teens on a road trip with an attractive older woman. Away from the glamourous special effects of Gravity, Y Tu Mamá También is a coming-of-age roller coaster, fuelled by sex, drugs and hormones. Similar to Roma, the political strife of the Mexican landscape is subtly incorporated, mirrored by the boy’s hectic lifestyle. The three characters are carefully developed, and Cuarón’s iconic tropes begin to assert themselves.
Cuarón explores issues of friendship, sexuality and identity (as one would expect in such a genre), however framed in such a way that it remains sophisticatedly subtle. What seems like a fun, spontaneous comedy is in fact an analysis of the adolescent psyche. Y Tu Mamá También is a loyal, witty depiction of teenage spirit, imbued with bittersweet revelations about life (and death).
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