Alfonso Cuarón’s latest movie, Roma, has received a lot of attention since its release.
Nominated for an incredible 10 Academy Awards, Roma is sure to take home several Oscars in 2019—particularly for director Alfonso Cuarón, who’s also nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film, Best Original Screenplay as the writer of the film’s script, Best Cinematography as the movie’s cinematographer, and Best Foreign Language Film.
Cuarón was born in 1961 in Mexico City, and made his first movie in 1991—Spanish-language feature Solo con Tu Pareja. You might not realize it, but you’ve definitely seen several of his movies already. Here’s everything you need to know about Cuarón’s impressive résumé.
1) Sólo con Tu Pareja (1991)
Sólo con Tu Pareja, which translates to Love in the Time of Hysteria, marked Alfonso Cuarón’s directorial debut via Mexican cinema.
Co-written with his brother, Carlos Cuarón,Sólo con Tu Pareja, follows the exploits of Tomás Tomás, a lothario who is eventually taught a lesson by an ex-lover.
2) A Little Princess (1995) Watch on Netflix
After the success of his first movie, Cuarón was hired to direct an adaptation of the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, A Little Princess. The story focuses on the young and wealthy Sara who is sent off to boarding school in New York while her father goes to fight in World War I. Tragedy follows, and when she is presumed an orphan, Sara is forced to learn to appreciate life without riches. The movie received two Oscar noms: Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki and Best Art Direction (now Best Production Design) for Cheryl Carasik and Bo Welch.
3) Great Expectations (1998)
Introducing the Charles Dickens classic to a new generation, 1998’s Great Expectations adaptation starred Gwyneth Paltrow, Ethan Hawke, Anne Bancroft, and Robert De Niro.
Cuarón’s magical aesthetic was more evident than ever in his direction of this modernization of the well-known story. Finn (Hawke) is a painter based in New York who reconnects with his childhood crush, Estella (played by Paltrow). While this version of Great Expectations doesn’t always stick exactly to its source material, it was early proof of Cuarón’s visionary spirit.
4) Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Based on a script by brothers Alfonso and Carlos, Y Tu Mamá También is a Spanish-language road trip comedy movie set in Mexico. Teenage boys Tenoch and Julio meet an older woman at a wedding party, and invite her on a trip with them.
The Cuarón brothers were nominated for their first Oscar for Y Tu Mamá También with a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
5) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Following the critical and commercial success of Y Tu Mamá También, Cuarón was hired to direct the third installment in the Harry Potter franchise.
Based upon J.K. Rowling’s novel of the same name, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban explored Harry, Hermione, and Ron’s third year at Hogwarts, and featured the escape of Sirius Black from wizard prison.
6) Paris, je t’aime (2006)
Having made his mark on Hollywood, Cuarón was one of 22 directors who filmed a segment for 2006 anthology movie, Paris, je t’aime.
Featuring a star-studded cast including Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi, Juliette Binoche, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Paris, je t’aime is well worth a watch if you haven’t already seen it.
7) Children of Men (2006)
Based upon the 1992 P. D. James novel, Children of Men starred Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Set in the dystopian future of 2027 where women are now infertile, Theo (Owen) meets a pregnant woman and is forced to try to safely transport her to sanctuary.
With the science-fiction thriller, Cuarón proved just how good he is at building new worlds. The movie garnered three Oscar nominations—Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.
8) Gravity (2013)
2013’s Gravity was a huge success, and famously starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as two astronauts working together to get home after an accident in space. Alfonso co-wrote the screenplay for Gravity with his son, Jonás Cuarón.
The movie won seven Oscars, including Best Achievement in Directing for Cuarón, cementing his standing as one of Hollywood’s most innovative directors. Cuarón was also the first Latin American director to win this particular award.
9) Roma (2018) Watch on Netflix
Written and directed by Cuarón, Roma follows the maid of a middle class family in Mexico City in the ’70s.
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, Cuarón’s latest movie has already won two Golden Globes—for Best Director, and Best Foreign Language Motion Picture. At the BAFTAs, Cuarón was specially awarded the David Lean Award for Direction, while Roma took home Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Not in the English Language.
Whatever Cuarón does next, the prolific director is sure to wow us.
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