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Cuaron Vs. Del Toro

Two Great Foreign Directors FIGHT!

By Hanso     February 18, 2010


Cuaron Vs. Del Toro
© Mania/Bob Trate

 

The NBA All Star Weekend was this past weekend and with it came the best basketball players on the planet putting friendships aside to compete against each other. However, the weekend was not just for NBA players, celebrities also joined in on the festivities and we had an exclusive look at a one-on-one between two great directors. So move over Kobe and Lebron because Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo Del Toro took court to battle for Mexican directorial bragging rights. Here’s how we called it as the showdown played out…
 

First Quarter: Coming to America

Alfonso Cuaron wins the jump ball and scores the first bucket of the game with the release of his first Hollywood movie, the 1995 adaptation of the children’s’ book A Little Princess. Nothing groundbreaking about the movie, Alfonso Cuaron delivers nice children’s film and the experience acquired working with kids would prove valuable later in his career. The movie ends up making $10 million at the box office but earns critical praise and Cuaron does a good enough job to land his next film, another book adaptation, the Charles Dickens’ classic, Great Expectations.
 
Guillermo Del Toro answers back with a floater that clanks off the rim with the 1997 release of his first Hollywood movie, Mimic. The film grosses $37 million at the box office and showcases Del Toro’s fascination with insects and monsters, a subject that would reverberate throughout his career. Unfortunately for Del Toro, the film sucked balls, didn’t get any critical praise and worst of all, the experience during the filming of Mimic was terrible. Guillermo kept butting heads with the studio during the filming of the movie, specifically with Dimension head Bob Weinstein who kept dictating what needed to be shot. The experience was so bad that Del Toro left Hollywood and returned to Mexico.
 
Guillermo looked like he was building his momma a house with all the bricks he just put up. Alfonso easily takes a first quarter lead.
 

Second Quarter: Directorial Styles

And the second quarter is underway as Alfonso Cuaron shoots a corner three that shows his range out on the floor. Throughout his career he was worked across different types of genres while giving his early films a more polished look with some vibrant colors; he was able to switch to a more realistic color palette that give his films a much grittier and darker look. Especially with his entry into science fiction, the 2006 criminally underrated Children of Men, a brilliant film and a modern science fiction classic. The beautifully-shot long single takes found in the film are proof of the man’s mad skills behind the camera. Children of Men contains five long takes where there is a never an edit in the action and each single take gets longer as the film progresses, culminating with a masterful five minute plus sequence towards the end of the film. These sequences are so great that it inspired McG to use single long takes in Terminator Salvation; of course since it was McG, he failed just like his movie.
 
Guillermo looking to get back in the game uses his unique style to score with a series of nifty moves down on the post. Del Toro, a fan of things that go bump in the night, has primarily stuck to horror and fantasy films. Employing a much more visual style than his Mexican counterpart, his films are filled with great set designs, dark atmospheres and tones. He is also capable of shooting action sequences and adding a touch of humor to his films, showing he can step out of his comfort zone if need be.
 
Ladies and gentlemen the defense this quarter was like Tiger Wood’s commitment to marriage, nonexistent. Alfonso and Guillermo put their offensive game on display and match each other move for move as they play the second quarter to a draw. First half ends with Cuaron still holding to the lead.

 
 

Third Quarter: Best Foreign Films

The third quarter begins with Alfonso straight up clowning Guillermo with the tomahawk dunk, Y Tu Mama Tambien. The film, written and directed by Alfonso, is a superb Mexican dramedy that garnered Cuaron tons of critical praise and draws attention due to its honest portrayal of sexuality since it’s basically a road movie about two horny teenage boys and a woman in her late twenties, who end up in a ménage a trois on a cabin by the beach. Good times. Y Tu Mama Tambien came up short in getting a Best Foreign Film nomination but did manage to get Cuaron an Original Screenplay nomination. 
 
Guillermo Del Toro answers back by hopping on the bus and taking Cuaron to school with his Spanish dark fairytale masterpiece El Laberinto del Fauno, or as it’s known in America, Pan’s Labyrinth. El Laberinto del Fauno, written and directed by Guillermo, performs solidly at the box office and earns Del Toro massive critical praise while also earning him an Original Screenplay nomination and nabbing a Best Foreign Film nomination. 
 
Please someone call the doctor because what Guillermo Del Toro just did was sick! While Cuaron scores with the excellent Y Tu Mama Tambien, the third quarter ends with El Laberinto del Fauno, possibly one of the best films released this decade, pushing Del Toro on a run and giving him the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 

Fourth Quarter: Movie Franchises

Del Toro, trying to build on the lead, starts the fourth quarter by keeping his unabashed monster love going with the opportunity to direct Wesley “Tax Evader” Snipes in the sequel to the vampire comic book franchise, Blade. Guillermo delivers his most action oriented movie to date, an underrated sequel that easily surpasses the original.
 
Looking to put Cuaron away, Del Toro follows up Blade II by writing and directing the comic book film, Hellboy and its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The movies are Guillermo Del Toro at his best, featuring plenty of monsters, amazing sets, action and philosophical themes. Both films perform well enough to break even at the box office but don’t reach mainstream status.
 
Thinking the game is locked up; Guillermo takes a breather and passes on the opportunity to helm the third film in the Harry Potter franchise. Having seen A Little Princess and Y Tu Mama Tambien, producer Chris Columbus and Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling both agree that Alfonso Cuaron is now the man for the job.
 
Cuaron knowing he needs to come up big to pull off the comeback victory accepts to direct the third Harry Potter film, titled Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Alfonso gives the movie a different tone and look from its two predecessors and delivers a more mature Potter film, establishing the tone for future movies in the franchise. The film is still the best Harry Potter movie released and earns Cuaron his only massive mainstream hit to date.
 
Guillermo Del Toro commits a huge turnover when he passes on Potter. With Harry Potter easily out grossing all three Del Toro movies, Alfonso Cuaron wins the quarter, ties the game and shakes and bakes his way into overtime!

 

Overtime: Future Projects

Alfonso Cuaron starts the overtime looking indecisive on how to attack Del Toro. He has nothing set in stone as his next project and passed on directing Angelina Jolie in The Tourist but is rumored to be interested in directing a film titled A Boy and His Shoe, another youth themed film that deals with a French teenage girl that moves with her family to Scotland. 
 
Cuaron never settles on what to do and lets the 24-second shot clock expire. Sensing that the game is at hand, Del Toro slips on the One Ring and immediately catches fire and not just any fire but NBA Jam style fire. BOOMSHAKALAKA! Del Toro takes off from half court and lands the unbelievable wet your pants 360 degree dunk that is the chance to head down to Middle Earth for a couple of years and bring to the big screen, the prequel to The Lord of The Rings, JR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. For purposes of the studio raping audience’s wallet, the book will be split into two films to be released at a date yet to be determined. The Hobbit is easily one of the most anticipated films and is guaranteed to bring Del Toro his biggest mainstream success. After Del Toro finishes up The Hobbit, he has a couple of projects lined up including his take on Frankestein, Drood, dealing with the last few years in the life of Charles Dickens and At the Mouth of Madness. Not to mention the man still hopes to direct a third entry in the Hellboy franchise.
 
And that’s how the game went down, folks! Overtime ends with Del Toro dominating Cuaron due to the sheer amount of work he has lined up. Unfortunately all the running and work has caused Guillermo to collapse from exhaustion but not before looking at Cuaron and telling him “Skills pay the bills and your broke son.”

 Winner:  Guillermo Del Toro!
 
 

See Other Director Brawls: Spielberg Vs. Lucas 

Raimi Vs. Nolan and Cameron Vs. Jackson

See Superhero Fights: Superman Vs. Hulk & Batman Vs. Spider-Man

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MOVIES REVIEWS

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

Showing items 1 - 10 of 16
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velgron 2/18/2010 5:27:44 AM

I would also add the storytelling style in to the match. Del Toro has a style similar to the short story, where it goes straight to the conflict and does not deviate; every action is related to the resolution of the conflict. (El laberinto del fauno, Hellboy,... any of his movies)

Cuaron’s style is then similar to the novel, where several conflicts are weaved together.  Additional characters and their conflicts are included, sometimes not even related to the resolution of the main conflict. This may pay off (Children of Men) or fail (Great Expectations)

For film I prefer the Del Toro’s approach, short and to the point. I say give Del Toro the all star MVP as well.

 

jdiggitty 2/18/2010 5:46:43 AM

And what about guiding an impressive protege in Bloomkamp? That's worth at least an easy 2.

Not to be a contrarian, but did the Hellboy movies actually make money? Just curious. I don't mind them but I know nobody else who could actually sit through them. Not talking about maniacs, but people I really know.

Wiseguy 2/18/2010 5:56:42 AM

Del Toro wins hands down. This isn't even close. All Del Toro needs is one huge box office success to legitimize him, cause let's face it, money is the final decider

He should get that huge box office hit with The Hobbit films

Btw, Children of Men sucked :)
 

ddiaz28 2/18/2010 6:58:58 AM

Great comparison.  Del Toro definitely gets the win in the end.  With the world knowing how great LOTR was, there is no doubt that Hobbit will be huge. I'd even say it has a chance to top ROTK at the box office.

Btw, Children of Men rocked ;)

DarthDuck 2/18/2010 7:23:54 AM

Wiseguy - I'm surprised at you!  Children of Men was phenomenal!!

Del Toro wins but its hardly a landslide, at least until the Hobbit comes out, due to the strength of Children of Men and Prisoner of Azkaban.

I really like Del Toro's style - specifically his used of puppets and 'real' effects as opposed to everything being CGI.  Can't wait for his take on Middle Earth.

noahbody 2/18/2010 7:49:20 AM

I have to agree with Wiseguy COM was  a rotten movie.

markeetundra 2/18/2010 8:05:40 AM

great article Hanso.  I actually felt like I was at a basketball game towards the end there.  Good job.

isgrimner 2/18/2010 8:31:02 AM

I kind of agree with Wiseguy regarding COM.  I simply found it forgettable.  Since I don't remember too much about it, I guess I didn't hate it, but I surely didn't really like it.  Then again, I kind of dislike Clive Owen, so there is a bias there.

I guess I would have to go with Del Torro easily.   I have not seen the Harry Potter films, as they hold no interest for me.   I actually didn't mind Cuaron's Great Expectations.  I did like the soundtrack to the movie. 

As to the basketball referances, I just want to say I hope the Lakers don't win anymore games. ( I know Hanso loves the Lakers)  I also want to say go Spurs!  Too bad they screwed up and traded for Richard Jefferson who I really dislike for the way he treated Alonso Mourning when they were both with the Nets.

shac2846 2/18/2010 8:48:58 AM

I'm guessing there was too much "gritty realism" for you Wiseguy? It's a science fiction movie, it has action and explosions, great characters, great acting? What are we missing? I thought Children of Men was one of the best films that came out the year I saw it. And like the author of the article says. McG tried to steal his ideas but he just couldn't follow through.

 

I agree with this article. Del Toro needs the hobbit for future success. His writing is really week in his franchise stuff. I have rented all of Del Toro's movie through netflix and I just can't get into some of them. Mimic, Chronos. I liked the Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labrynth and Blade 2 was obviously good but those Hellboy movies just sucked to me. And I love the Hellboy comics. Cuaron is a total storyteller and has a diamond cutters eye for getting beautiful shots. I vote for him in the longest career but the hobbit could definitely change that.

Hanso knows about some Cuaron. Where you at Hanso?

 

hanso 2/18/2010 9:08:29 AM

What up kids?

Just wanted to mention that while I prefer Alfonso Cuaron ( I think he has more range) over Guillermo Del Toro, I think right now they are on a pretty even playing field (that's why "overtime" was needed to break the tie). This wasn't always the case, these two guys are part of the Mexican Trinity and it wasn't till 2006 that Del Toro finally caught up with Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

If you look at these 3 guys from 2000 - 2005, Del Toro was dealing with more B movie type films like Blade/Hellboy while Gonzalez Inarritu and Cuaron were enjoying more prestigious Oscar flicks like Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Y Tu Mama Tambien and bigger hits like Harry Potter.

Interestingly enough 2006 saw all three deliver probably their best films with Gonzalez's Babel, Cuaron's Children of Men and Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Labyrinth put him on equal footing with his two friends. That's where things stand right now in my opinion and Del Toro will probably gain a lot of distance if the Hobbit is what is expected. The other two guys need to stay busy if they want to keep up with him.
 

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