Since coming to prominence in his native Mexico with Sólo Con Tu Pareja (1991) Alfonso Cuarón has shown himself to be a remarkably versatile director. His films have ranged from The Little Princess (1995), a beautifully crafted adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s novel to the exuberant road movie Y Tu Mama Tambien (2002). After the international and critical success of that film he made Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), the third – and so far, best – instalment of the series.
Children of Men was another shift in subject matter and tone, as he adapted P.D. James’ dystopian novel about infertility in a futuristic England. Released in the UK last September (and the US in December) it garnered lavish critical praise and award recognition, winning 2 BAFTAs and 3 Oscar nominations.
It was richly deserved, as it remains one of the best films of last year. It functions as a riveting thriller, but also explores contemporary issues with an intelligence that is rare in mainstream movies. It also features some truly stunning cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki, who has helped create images and sequences that will live long in the memory.
I recently spoke to Alfonso about the forthcoming release on DVD. He was articulate, passionate and keen to discuss many aspects of the film, including: his approach to the original novel; the documentary on the second disc called ‘The Possibility of Hope’; filming during the London bombings; the narrative style of the film; why he wanted it to be the ‘anti-Blade Runner’; the visuals; how they shot some of the long takes; the importance of Clive Owen as a collaborator and what he thinks the film is ultimately about.
Listen to the interview here:
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You can also download here it as an MP3 (just right click on the link and save it to your computer)
The Children of Men 2-disc Special Edition is available on DVD from 19th March, courtesy of Universal Pictures
(Film & Artwork © 2006 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
> Buy Children of Men on DVD from Amazon UK
> IMDb entry for Alfonso Cuaron
> IMDb entry for Children of Men
> Reviews for Children of Men at Metacritic
> My original review of Children of Men back in September
