Eye on the Oscars: The Cinematographer

Variety looks ahead to the Oscars with cinematographers’ thoughts on their favourite cinematography this year, including three acclaimed directors of photography discussing Emmanuel Lubezki‘s work on Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life.

Caleb Deschanel (IMDb) begins:

Sixteen years ago, Mark Johnson called me to tell me about a terrific young cinematographer who was photographing “The Little Princess,” a movie Mark was producing. The cinematographer was Emmanuel Lubezki, aka “Chivo.” Mark was right. The film went on to earn Chivo a well-deserved Academy Award nomination, but was just the beginning of an extraordinary career.

Tags: 84th Academy Awards, A Little Princess, Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Alejandro Amenabar, Caleb Deschanel, Children of Men, Director of Photography, Emmanuel Lubezki, Hagen Bogdanski, Javier Aguirresarobe, Jorg Widmer, Mark Johnson, Oscars, Oscars 2012, Sleepy Hollow, Terrence Malick, The Little Princess, The New World, The Sea Inside, The Tree of Life, Tree of Life, Variety

No makeup, says Cuarón

Back in November, George Clooney told USA Today, “It is the first time I’ve been in 3-D and, hopefully, the last time,” and maybe like me you wondered whether he had a personal objection to the recent resurgence of three dimensional film, or, maybe, it was something else.  It turns out it’s the latter.

Gravity lead Sandra Bullock told recently told the same newspaper:

God help us all when my face comes rushing at you with no makeup on. I’m going to apologize now, but Alfonso, in a brilliant move, said, ‘No makeup.’

Our vain little heads are going to be some massive 17-foot image. You are going to see details because it’s shot on this digital film that shows everything. It’s so scary. There are scenes where you say, ‘This is where you have to let go and let God.’ And, thank God, there are no nude scenes.

Via: Collider and Indiewire

Tags: 3-D, 3D, Alfonso Cuarón, George Clooney, Gravity, Make-up, Makeup, Sandra Bullock, USA Today, Vanity

Mexicans who shone in 2011

Excelsior has listed Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro, for their work on two of 2012′s most highly anticipated movies Gravity and Pacific Rim, as two of the Mexican stars who shone brightest in 2011, alongside actress Salma Hayek, director Gerardo Naranjo, and actors conquering new territory, Demian Bichir, Kuno Becker, Martha Higareda, and Paulina Gaitán.  Charolastras Gael García Berna and Diego Luna were also lauded for their Canana Films productions this year as well as their acting.  Read more.

Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Canana, Canana Films, charolastras, Demián Bichir, Diego Luna, Excelsior, Gael García Bernal, Gerardo Naranjo, Gravity, Guillermo del Toro, Kuno Becker, Martha Higareda, Nuevo Excelsior, Pacific Rim, Paulina Gaitán, Salma Hayek, Salvador Franco

An Evening with Emmanuel Lubezki

This past month, the American Cinematheque invited cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to the Egyptian and Aero theatres for a two part series, Poetry in Motion: The Cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki.  An audience of six hundred strong came out to see Terrence Malick’s critically-acclaimed Tree of Life on December 11th and our man Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también on the 18th, with an opportunity to see a reel of highlights from Lubezki’s career and the man himself.

One Jon Frechette has been so kind as to share a recording of the December 11th Q&A online (via All Things Shining: The Terrence Malick Blog).  You can stream or download it from SoundCloud below (Happy Christmas!).

Tags: Aero Theatre, American Cinematheque, An Evening with Emmanuel Lubezki, Beth Hanna, Dede Gardner, Doug Trumbull, Egyptian Theatre, Emmanuel Lubezki, Grant Moninger Gwen Deglise, Jim Hemphill, Mark Yoshikawa, Poetry in Motion: The Cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki, Sarah Green, Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life, Tree of Life

Official Gravity synopsis revealed

JoBlo.com shares WB’s official blurb for Gravity:

Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone–tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.

But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

See /film for other quotes on the production.

Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Sandra Bullock, Gravity, George Clooney, Ryan Stone, Matt Kowalsky, WB, Synopsis

More mindblowing

So, he is not directing the Twilight Zone but Alfonso Cuarón has a huge year ahead with one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012 (scheduled for a November 21 release).

We’ve already heard Guillermo del Toro describe Gravity on MTV as “completely mindblowing” filmmaking, but recently main actress Sandra Bullock is insisting the same, while promoting her upcoming feature, an adaptation of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  In addition to describing the isolation of filming her character along in space, she told MTV News’ Josh Horowitz:

It is going to be so profoundly silent and big and loud. I don’t know how to explain it, because I have never seen anything like it. I never experienced anything like it. There are no words in my mental dictionary that can describe what this experience was, but once you see it, you’re, you’re just going to be like, ‘Oh my f—ing God.’

Cuarón celebrated his 50th birthday last month (November 28) and in the wave of Happy Birthdays, I nearly missed this:

Disclaimer: “Looks real but I’m just not sure,” the uploader says, but “it still looks cool though.” Regardless of whether it’s fan made or for real, I am certainly ready to have my mind blown (soooo excited).

Tags: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, animation, charolastras, David Heyman, Diego Luna, Eugenio Derbez, Fedecine, Gael García Bernal, George Clooney, Gravity, Guillermo del Toro, Horror, Los charolastras, Luis Estrada, MTV Rough Cut, Sandra Bullock, teaser trailer, Tres amigos, Twilight Zone

Cuarón on WB’s Twilight Zone shortlist

Leonardo DiCaprio (through his production company Appian Way) and Warner Bros. have the latest Twilight Zone adaptation in the works and have already narrowed down the field of potential directors.

Variety: “Mutual interest is brewing between WB and at least three individuals: Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay and Alfonso Cuaron. (Insiders also say David Yates was on the short list, though his prospects have waned.)

“Sources say Nolan has emerged as the front-runner to get the offer, and though his close relationship with the studio is well documented, it’s not clear whether he’d take on the project, given its similarities to “Inception.” [...]

“Cuaron also has a relationship with the studio, and the most favorable schedule. He’s currently wrapping up production on the space adventure “Gravity” and has not committed to his next project.”  Read more.

Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay, Twilight Zone, Warner Bros.