Y Tu Mama Tambien

Y Tu Mama Tambien
by Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Cuarón

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DVD Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien

DVD Review: Laziness on the part of the filmmakers
Summary: 3 Stars

It's summer in Mexico and teenage best friends Julio (Gael García Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) are about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime. With their girlfriends in Europe on vacation, the two boys are left to their own devices, and quickly become bored by the uninspired routine of an aimless existence. One day, while attending a wedding, they impulsively invite a stunning older woman, Luisa (Maribel Verdú), to accompany them on a car ride to a distant beach. Shortly thereafter, much to their surprise, Luisa telephones and says she would like to come. She has recently learned of her husband's infidelity and has decided to leave him, and the trip gives her an opportunity to start anew. So this odd trio- a sexually liberated woman and two horny teenage boys - end up on a journey that will involve booze, drugs, and sex.

Director Alfonso Cuarón got his start in Mexico, arriving in Hollywood in the mid-90s. With studio backing, he made two English-language features, A Little Princess and Great Expectations, but elected to return south of the border for Y tu mamá también. His aim was to make a teen film unlike the shallow, callow examples coming out of Hollywood. To a degree, he has succeeded - the picture, while containing a fair amount of humor, is more serious-minded than anything featuring Freddie Prinze Jr., Britney Spears, or an apple pie. However, it's also worth noting that Y tu mamá también depicts one of the most popular teenage male fantasies: going on a long trip with a gorgeous, willing woman. So this movie isn't necessarily more realistic than its Hollywood counterparts - it's just not as dumb.

Perhaps because I'm a male, the film didn't offer any surprising insights into the hormone-saturated workings of the minds of teenage boys. The two characters are driven by drugs and sex, and are only occasionally distracted by something of substance. They - like all kids of their age - live in the moment. Yesterday is a fading memory and tomorrow is less tangible than a dream. Today is all that matters. The more interesting character inhabiting Cuarón's fantasy is Luisa, who has her reasons for being an unlikely companion to Julio and Tenoch. She has thrown off the shackles of an unhappy marriage for a plunge into the Epicurean lifestyle. There appears to be more motivating her than a surge of twenty-something ennui, but it isn't until the end of the film that we find out exactly what that is. She wants to do something different - to be vital, sexy, and wanted.

Y tu mamá también doesn't shy away from graphic depictions of sex, and there's plenty of nudity to tantalize anyone who gets tired reading the subtitles. Unburdened by the commercially-driven motivations of Hollywood, Cuarón can show things that he never would have been able to had the film been bankrolled by a studio. Although he's not quite as explicit as French director Catherine Breillat (Romance, Fat Girl), there are times when he comes close. Y tu mamá también depicts full frontal male and female nudity, simulated intercourse, [and other sexual acts]. And there's a little homoeroticism thrown in for good measure. Cuarón's frank attitude towards sexuality is in stark contrast to that of mainstream American teen movies, which reduce sex to something naughty and cute in order to achieve a PG-13 rating.

Those expecting Y tu mamá también to be a film of great significance will be disappointed. Despite being subtitled and having won raves at international film festivals, this movie doesn't deliver anything more dramatic than a road trip garnished with an aggressive portion of sex and nudity. It's well-acted, but there's not much in the way of a plot. Cuarón throws in some politics concerning the economic rift between the middle-class and those living in poverty, but doesn't dwell on the situation or its ramifications. If the movie has a statement to make, it's that one can only live in the moment for so long (the epilogue emphasizes this). The experience is too intense and the passions are too raw. But that's something all of us who have lived through our teenage years, and emerged relatively unscathed, know all too well.

Description of Y Tu Mama Tambien