Not your average trip to the beach (Y Tu Mamá También [And Your Mother Too] (DVD))

Member Name: mmintfresh

Product:	Y Tu Mamá También [And Your Mother Too] (DVD)
Date:	31/10/02 (218 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More than your average road movie, Performances, Direction

Disadvantages: Some people will steer clear of it

Julio (Gael García Bernal) is a middle class teen, his best friend is Tenoch (Diego Luna) who's father is in the Government and as a result they are very rich. It is the start of the summer and their girlfriends are going on a trip around Europe leaving the two very little to do except get high and masturbate. One day they attend a wedding (one of Tenoch's relatives is getting married) and they meet Lusia (Maribel Verdú) who is from Spain she is the wife of one of Tenoch's cousins. The two are both very attractive to her and invite her to go to a mythical beach called Heaven's Mouth. They don't know if the beach exists but assume she won't go so it doesn't matter they soon forget all about it. Meanwhile Lusia is at home alone whilst her husband is away on business when she receives a phone call. It is her drunken husband who confesses to sleeping with another woman. Lusia decides that maybe she will go on a trip after all and leave her old life behind. So she calls up Tencoh and the three embark on a journey to a beach that may not exist. On the way they get to know everything about each other. Julio and Tenoch's friendship also starts to decay as they start to learn secrets about each other but also because of the jealousy that is built up over Lusia.

From the way it was advertised you'd think Y Tu Mamá También [And Your Mother Too] was
a typical, two-dimensional teen road movie but I'm glad to say that this has a lot more depth, style and intelligence than any teen movie to ever come out of Hollywood. Firstly the plot. Superficially it is a coming of an age drama set on the road with an older woman love story thrown in. However below this there is stronger messages and themes running below. There is the comment on the social order of Mexico. Some people have lots of money and there are parts of Mexico that are rich and modern but there are those people that are left behind and are stuck in extreme poverty and o
ften have to resort to crime. This is shown in the back ground of the scenes. We see people getting pulled over with guns, road blocks and villages who go up to cars asking for donations. There are also numerous political references particularly about how the Government that had been in power for 70 years were voted out recently. Julio and Tenoch's friendship is also complex and what begins as a strong bond ends with awkward meetings in cafes and we see the cracks appear and grow throughout the film. It is also how they learn and grow throughout the course of the film. Lusia's story also has a lot of depth but I can't really explain it here because it will involves a plot twist and I don't want to ruin the film for anyone. The film itself is also interrupted by an omnipotent narrator who not only informs us about the characters but those around them and things that have happened around them. This itself helps add depth to the film because we learn more about the characters and has many socio-political references.

I have to mention the fantastic performances from the key characters Bernal is great as Julio and was seen in the equally as brilliant Amores Perros another Mexican film and could also be the first of the Mexican New Wave if the current pattern continues. Luna is also brilliant as Tenoch, although he is rich he is not a brat. The two manage to make the teens more than just sex mad stoners and this allows the audience to get closer to the two. Verdú is also great as the seductive Lusia and after you learn the end and see the film again you will be even more impressed by her performance.

Alfonso Cuarón directed the film and has done a blinding job at directing, he is best known for A Little Princess and the recent Hollywood adaptation of Great Expectations. He drenches the screen in sun so you can literally feel it's warmth and colour. He has also done included some great camera work and makes the camera like a separat
e character. If often drifts away from the characters to glance out the window but also always focuses on something important. He has also handled the sex scenes well so they aren't in the cheesy Hollywood romanticised style but seem more realistic and they aren't just there, they are there for a reason.

Overall Y Tu Mamá También is a funny yet touching Mexican film that is unmissable. It generate a lot of critical acclaim and you can see why. The only downside is that because it is a foreign film and because of the subtitles people won't want to see it. If you liked this I also would recommend the fantastic Amores Perros another great Mexican flick.

Summary: