Sólo con tu pareja - Alfonso Cuarón

(aka 'Love in the Time of Hysteria')

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Mexico 1991

Before Alfonso Cuarón brought us the international sensation Y tu mamá también, he made his mark on Mexican cinema with the ribald and lightning-quick social satire Solo con tu pareja. Don Juan-ish yuppie Tomás Tomás (Daniel Giménez Cacho, from Bad Education) spends his nights juggling so many beautiful women that he can't keep their names straight—until one of his many conquests, a spurned nurse, gives him a taste of his own medicine. Beautifully filmed by the inimitable Emmanuel Lubezki (The New World), Cuarón's wildly successful feature debut (which has never been released in the United States) offers the first glimpses of the exuberant flair that has come to define this one-of-a-kind director.

Screenplay/book

Theatrical Release: September 9th, 1991 - Toronto Film Festival

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DVD Review: Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 353 - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:34:09
Video	1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.2 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Making "Sólo con tu pareja", a collection of new video interviews with Cuarón, screenwriter Carlos Cuarón, and actor Daniel Giménez Cacho • Short films by Alfonso Cuarón (Quartet For The End of Time - 23:44) and Carlos Cuarón (Wedding Night - 5:03) • Original theatrical trailer • Liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by Ryan F. Long, and a "biography" of Tomás Tomás, written by Carlos Cuarón DVD Release Date: October 17th, 2006 Keep Case Chapters: 18

Comments:

The rendered image looks very good helping to accentuate the inventive cinematography - there are lots of fast cuts and brilliant angles - typical of a new director testing his boundaries. The transfer is very detailed with muted colors that look accurate (skin tones and un-manipulated contrast). Audio is original - clear and consistent and there are optional English subtitles.

In the 'Making of...' Cuarón details some of his maturing in Mexico and motivations to make films - including his initial viewing of The Bicycle Thief at only 7 years of age. At 30 minutes this could have easily been 2 hours - very interesting featurette with some good information on the production of Solo con tu pareja. There is input from brother/screenwriter Carlos Cuarón, and actor Daniel Giménez Cacho. Included are two short features - one by Alfonso Cuarón (Quartet For The End of Time - 23:44) and one by brother Carlos Cuarón (Wedding Night - 5:03). Perhaps a bit of filler - but I genuinely enjoyed both... for different reasons. A final digital supplement is a theatrical trailer (un-restored). Finally the package includes a 30-page liner notes booklet with a new essay by Ryan F. Long, and a "biography" of Tomás Tomás, written by Carlos Cuarón.

This sex-farce with political overtones is very amusing, poignant and at times downright funny. The Criterion DVD is up to their usual stratospheric standards and I consider this a strong asset to any collection. The film is appealing for many reasons and its nice to see Cuarón's roots as I feel his gifted potential is yet to reach its apex.