Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother too) | Review

Mexican import is high on sensual octane.

Long associated to the freedom of youth and the exploration of self is the all to common four wheels-road trip. Coupled with this carefree attitude of being young at heart is the typical male jubilation for figures in bikinis, one of many rites of passage into adulthood. Throw in some rather kinky summer sexual exploits, and you’ve got the makings for a hot 2001 Mexican import. Director Alfonso Cuarón’s Mexican-stamped portrayal of youth is a sizzling-piquant coming-of-age film about the search for identity found through friendships and sexuality. Served up in a sort of Larry Clark’s Kids meets Easy Rider; Y tu Mamá También gives the viewer an unromanticized look at urban Mexico City and the impoverished rural Mexico inside the gaze of young male adults. More than just a beautiful landscape with a stunning sunset, Cuarón gives an unglamourized viewpoint (by way of narration and visuals) of a fabric of a country with contrasting social and economic conditions. He explores these issues without putting them at the forefront of the film, sort of like a series of continual endnotes that give a little more depth to the rather ordinary adventure of the two best friends.

The storyline and friendship of the two protagonists is well-developed, the viewer gets seduced by this pair of prank-making friends who are stuck with the growing potential for an uneventful summer wasted mostly by getting intoxicated or wasting away during swimming pool Mondays, -but all this changes when they hit gold-a hot cousin who is far from being shy makes the terrible twosome into a partying threesome. The hot and older “mamacita” gives her self the permission to explore her own identity within this unadulterated beer-drinking, fart making world of freedom introduced by these two best buddy protagonists Julio and Tenoch played by Gael García Bernal (Amores Perros) Diego Luna (Before Night Falls). They have only one thought on their minds-which is pretty much the thought of any heavily testosterone-charged young adult male- and this film bullishly fights the taboos of sexual frustration, exploration and freedom with brash sex-capades with the sultry Spanish film actress Maribel Verdú (Belle Epoque) whose non-chalance grace and Latin charm perforates the celluloid. In one scene, as she walks away from a jukebox- she playfully advances onto the camera showing her prowess and sex appeal. She is tired of boys, especially her husband’s theatrics and therefore she becomes a principle and teacher of How to treat a woman 101 style. But Cuarón gives us more than just the male fantasy of the ultimate wet dream; he investigates the relationship of power between these males and female and explores jealousy conflicts of the two protagonists. Conceivably, the film’s end fills in some details about the character motivations and steers clearly away from being a film that aspires to resonate any kind of auteur-driven message.

I like Cuarón’s use of the narration, providing a sort of textured background pushing the stories even further than what is seen within the scene. This is balanced with Emmanuel Lubezki’s photography, which includes many effective shots from the car giving the viewer a window side view of the beautiful backdrop of Mexico with a detailed handheld camera that authenticates the portrait of the many microcosms of everyday Mexican life. Y tu Mamá También is about as accurate a portrayal for a day in the life road picture that it could be. This film does not demand much from the viewer and nor does it intend to. It could have resonated even more if it would have been shortened in length, but by purposely straying away from a deep meaning type of flick- it succeeds in reaching its potiential which is a film that gives place to the adolescent humor and sexual forays that most movie-goers will get the chance to relive with by way of this film.

Rating 3.5 stars