(l. to.r) The reigning Latino-auteur “three amigos” — Alfonso Cuaron (l.), Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (second from right), Guillermo del Toro (r.) — whose landmark films (Children of Men, Babel and Pan’s Labyrinth, respectively) easily rank among the very best of ’06, standing with Pursuit of Happyness helmer Gabriele Muccino (second from left) at last night’s triumphant Children of Men screening in Westwood. A futuristic-Orwellian action thriller, Men is utterly gripping and top-grade, but Emanuel Lubezki’s camerawork — all hand-held, several very long takes (including three that are extremely long…mind-blowingly so) — is the stuff of instant legend. I was frozen in my seat, eyes riveted. Any film buff who fails to see this film at least twice while dragging along all his/her friends is not a film buff. Cheers also to Jim Clay and Geoffrey Kirkland’s production design, which evokes a ruined, apocalyptic future in a thousand ultra-detailed ways — Tuesday, 10.24.06, 6:25 pm
(l. to.r) The reigning Latino-auteur “three amigos” — Alfonso Cuaron (l.), Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (second from right), Guillermo del Toro (r.) — whose landmark films (Children of Men, Babel and Pan’s Labyrinth, respectively) easily rank among the very best of ’06, standing with Pursuit of Happyness helmer Gabriele Muccino (second from left) at last night’s triumphant Children of Men screening in Westwood. A futuristic-Orwellian action thriller, Men is utterly gripping and top-grade, but Emanuel Lubezki’s camerawork — all hand-held, several very long takes (including three that are extremely long…mind-blowingly so) — is the stuff of instant legend. I was frozen in my seat, eyes riveted. Any film buff who fails to see this film at least twice while dragging along all his/her friends is not a film buff. Cheers also to Jim Clay and Geoffrey Kirkland’s production design, which evokes a ruined, apocalyptic future in a thousand ultra-detailed ways — Tuesday, 10.24.06, 6:25 pm