There's no boilerplate example of an Alfonso Cuarón movie. Certain themes recur frequently (parent-child bereavement being a key motif); the environments are crucial; they're often based on books; and there's rarely a shortage of technical excellence. But look across his filmography, and no two films are quite alike. From intimate black-and-white family drama to gritty, politically charged sci-fi, to a superlative franchise blockbuster entry, he's demonstrated considerable range from humble beginnings.
Starting out as a crew member and an assistant director, he cut his teeth on TV and film in his native Mexico. ‘There's no question’ that working his way up through various crew roles informed his approach as a director, he tells Total Film. In 1991 he made his directorial debut with Sólo con tu pareja, co-written with his brother Carlos. The attention that film attracted led to Hollywood interest, and he directed an episode of TV's Fallen Angels before landing A Little Princess, the first of many literary adaptations that would define his career.
That charming family flick then led to Great Expectations (with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow), and after that, in 2001, came the film that really made cinephiles sit up and take notice: Y tu mamá también, which heralded new talent, in Cuarón, his cast, and the new generation of Mexican directors earning global recognition (Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro were affectionately dubbed ‘the three amigos’).
Given that Cuarón's career has never stuck on a predictable trajectory, it perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise that Y tu mamá también was followed up by the third instalment in the Harry Potter franchise. Turning sharply left again, The Prisoner of Azkaban was followed up by Children of Men, a sci-fi whose relevance and stature grows with each passing year.
And 10 years ago, Cuarón delivered a blockbuster one-off that was one of the best films of the decade. Gravity told a simple survival story, in which astronaut Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is left adrift in space after debris crashes into the Hubble telescope during a routine service. To survive she must get to the International Space Station, before she can attempt to make her way back home. It was one of the defining films of 3D's recent heyday, a breathlessly claustrophobic and scientifically rigorous thriller that was immersive and cinematic in the purest sense.
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards (and winning seven, including Best Director) the instant classic cemented his reputation, before he spun to the , a deeply personal project that (and earned him another Best Director Oscar to boot).
