TSPDT

Key Production Countries: USA, Mexico, UK
Key Genres: Drama, Science Fiction, Children's/Family, Psychological Sci-Fi, Fantasy Adventure, Coming-of-Age
Key Collaborators: Emmanuel Lubezki (Cinematographer), Steven Weisberg (Editor), Carlos Cuarón (Screenwriter), David Heyman (Producer), Alex Rodríguez (Editor), Pam Ferris (Leading Character Actress), Patrick Doyle (Composer)

"After a stint in Mexican television, Cuarón made the break into Hollywood with his comedy, Love in the Time of Hysteria (1991), about a lothario misdiagnosed with AIDS by an ex-lover... Cuarón returned to Mexico and came out with the earthy and liberating Y Tu Mamá También (2001), his first international box-office hit. " - Ronald Bergan (Film - Eyewitness Companions, 2006)

"Moviedom's most ambidextrous filmmaker jets back and forth between Hollywood blockbusters, like his widely admired Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and smaller, character-driven works, including And Your Mother Too (Y tu mamá también, 2001), the art-house triumph starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna as horny tens road-tripping through rural Mexico with a sexy older woman." - Andrew Bailey (Cinema Now, 2007)

"This is a very tricky career to judge, for A Little Princess was as good and intriguing as Great Expectations was portentous and hollow. How can this be? How can the former stir up immense atmosphere, while the latter (a sitting duck) has none? Love in the Time of Hysteria was a very promising comedy about confusion over AIDS, and Y Tu Mamá También deserves its high crowd-pleasing reputation." - David Thomson (The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, 2010)

"Many auteurs abandon their home countries - and their better instincts - once they hear the siren call of Hollywood, but Alfonso Cuarón has shifted easily between his native Mexico and the US while maintaining his artistic integrity on both sides of the border. Even when taking over the big-budget franchise of a worldwide blockbuster, his directorial stamp is unmistakable." - Jessica Winter (The Rough Guide to Film, 2007)

"A visionary, journeyman filmmaker, he got his start making short films in his home country, and gradually made his way to assistant directing and, eventually, directing features." - The Film Encyclopedia, 2012

"There is much to admire in Alfonso Cuarón. His talent, his humor, his “What? I just woke up looking this handsome!” demeanor. We can certainly admire his tenacity, which has allowed him to make some of the most arresting, visually stunning work in recent cinema. Or, perhaps mostly, we can admire the fact that in addition to bringing authenticity and emotion to pre-existing universes (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Alfonso is making original films, creating new worlds and introducing us to characters not based on a corporation’s fave existing IP (intellectual property). Like a certain character you may have seen floating alone in space, Alfonso doesn’t have much company in the rarefied air in which he, lucky for us all, lives and creates. Here’s to his staying in orbit." - J.J. Abrams (TIME, 2014)