One of the best road films (Y Tu Mamá También [And Your Mother Too] (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Y Tu Mamá También [And Your Mother Too] (DVD)
Date:	11/09/09 (4 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Acting and script

Disadvantages: Too explicit for some

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room

Alfonso Cuarón amazes me - he has made the very popular films Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but before that, he made a little film called Y tu mamá también, a heartfelt and grand love letter to Mexico that takes the familiar road trip premise and turns it almost entirely on its head.

The film revolves around two young boys, average kid Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal), and his rich kid best friend Tenoch (Diego Luna), and an older woman named Luisa (Maribel Verdú). Their girlfriends venture off to Italy, so the two go off on their own existential adventure where, at a family function, they meet Luisa, who they flirt with before finding out she has a husband. Nevertheless, they are kind to her, and after her husband drunkenly confesses having an affair, she decides to go off with the boys on a road trip.

What's great about the film is its emotional complexity and psychology - the triangle situation means that the boys wrestle for her affections, whilst she herself isn't really sure what she's doing, having recently endured great emotional trauma. There are other personal problems that emerge as the film progresses, resulting in a heartfelt and humanistic look at the "machismo" culture of Mexico, as well as an interesting examination of gender roles in that regard.

Moreover, this is a clever film contextually - it frequently makes note to the country's political status, in a way that simply intercedes temporarily before exiting again. That said, it's also a very explicit film that's going to make a lot of people uncomfortable with its fairly graphic sex scenes and also its examination of gender roles and sexuality. However, if you're a cineaste and therefore probably a bit more open to these things, this is well worth your time.

A sexy, funny, and above all else, infectiously charming film about life, love, sex, and making it in the world. This film presents plenty of surprises up until its final frame, and breathes fresh, intelligent life into the archetypal road film.

Summary: A sexy and fun road film