PoA Predictions based on Cuarón’s existing films (long)

[Tim Regan]

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Hi All,

I've been watching Alfonso Cuarón's films to see if there are any 
recurring elements that may help us predict how he will handle The 
Prisoner of Azkaban. There's a list of his films at 
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Cuar%F3n,%20Alfonso but I've only managed to 
watch three: "Y tu mamá también" (aka "And Your Mother Too" AYMT 
2001), "Great Expectations" (GE 1998), and "A Little Princess" (ALP 
1995). I haven't yet seen "Fallen Angels" (TV Series 1993) or "Sólo 
con tu pareja" (aka "Love in the Time of Hysteria" 1991).


Central Character
The three films had a central character who is not-what-they-seem 
and who also serves as a magnet for the other main characters. In 
AYMT Luisa at first appears to be a housewife, then a sexual tutor, 
and finally a woman dying of cancer. In GE, Estella (played by 
Gwyneth Paltrow) appears unreachable, then reachable, then 
unreachable, etc. In ALP Sara appears rich, then poor, then rich. In 
each case the other main characters are drawn to this changeling. 
So, prediction number one: the central character of the PoA film 
will be Lupin, not Harry or Sirius.

Changing the Book
AYMT isn't based on a book (and Cuarón wrote the script himself). 
Plus I have to confess that I haven't read Great Expectations yet. 
But here's a quote from an IMDB review "Characters' circumstances 
have been changed, yet they act just the way their counterparts act 
in the novel". In ALP Cuarón changed the book a lot, not only 
deleting bits but adding loads too. For example the introductory 
sequence covering Sara's life in India and her journey to England 
are not covered in the book. Sara's locket is an important plot 
device in the film, but doesn't exist in the book (although it 
really reminded me of the way Dicken's used the mother's locket 
in "Oliver Twist"). Sara's father stays dead in the book. Now, 
Dickens and Hodgson Burnett are dead, but to go out on a limb, 
prediction number two: Cuarón will make many more changes to the 
book, including the addition of material (probably about Lupin).

Romance and Sex
(This is an adult's list, right?). When I watched AYMT the first 
thing that hit me was shock that they'd chosen this guy for PoA. 
It's really rude – there's sex, more sex, and a masturbation scene 
that's left me apprehensive about ever using a sports club pool 
again. So I went on to GE. It's exceptionally erotic with some very 
voyeuristic moments (e.g. the shot of Finn running his hand up 
Estella's leg taken up her skirt). But I assumed ALP would not have 
such elements as it is a film for kids. Well it didn't have any sex, 
but he has added romance. One of the sub-plots of the film is Amelia 
Minchin running away with her lover, the milkman. Now that just 
isn't in the book and I cannot really see why it's been added to the 
film. It is Richard LaGravenese, not Cuarón, who wrote the 
screenplay but prediction number three is that romantic 
relationships in PoA will be invented, exaggerated, and played to 
the full. 

Computer Special Effects
The three films had very little special effects. I haven't enjoyed 
the effects much in the HP films so far: the troll looked bad, 
Dobby's clothes look fake and he weakens Daniel's acting, CoS 
Quidditch was like Pod-racing on the cheap (John Williams' music 
didn't help here, I'm sure he was using similar techniques to the 
Pod-racing theme), 
 In general I cannot help thinking that effects 
that look amazing today will look awful in ten years time, like the 
weird dream sequences in early 1970's films. But great acting and 
great directing will always look good. Prediction number four (well 
it's a hope more than a prediction): there will be very few computer 
generated effects in PoA.

Cinematography
I'm no film buff – hopefully others on this list have better points 
to make here. But the cinematography in the three Cuarón films was 
really great. Take the scene near the end of AYMT, where Tenoch and 
Julio are sat in a beach-side bar with Luisa. The whole scene is 
from a single camera position until she goes to the jukebox and the 
camera follows her back to the table. It really held my attention 
magically. Now if Cuarón can do that kind of thing with a low budget 
film hopefully his creativity will only increase with a high budget 
one (fingers crossed). So, prediction number five: PoA will use 
innovative camera techniques to give a very intimate feel to the 
film.


I'm really looking forward to Cuarón's treatment of PoA, though it 
does beg the question "What do you want from a film of a book?". 
Inevitably film versions will be disappointing. I really didn't like 
CoS on first viewing but enjoyed it loads more second time around, 
because my expectations were more realistic. It's different if you 
see the film first (as I did with PS/SS), though almost always the 
book turns out better (I think "Apocalypse Now" / "Heart of 
Darkness" doesn't obey this rule). Like everybody on the HP lists 
I've invested loads of time reading the books, which is loads of 
time building my own rich mental model of Harry, Hogwarts, and the 
Wizarding world. When I go to see the celluloid version, it is not 
to have my model ratified by the director's; nor to have mine 
replaced by his weaker one (that's always my fear, and why I refused 
to see "The Color Purple" and "Lord of The Rings"); but it's to see 
another work of art, one based on a book I love. Hence I want it to 
take liberties with the original work, if that leads to a better, a 
more interesting film. I think Cuarón will do that.


Cheers,


Dumbledad