Not overly sophisticated (thank God), indeed somewhat crude at points (excellent), and rather like a mixture between The Sure Thing, Beavis and Butthead and Shadowlands (just kidding), Y tu mamá también is extremely good-natured, thoughtful and enjoyable - far more so than the witless trailer (which makes it out to be a teen gross-out comedy) suggests.
It follows two seventeen-year-old Mexico City friends - Tenoch (Diego Luna), a corrupt politician's son, and middle-class Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal, of Amores Perros) - and Luisa (Maribel Verdu), the beautiful young Spanish woman they meet at a party. To impress her they invite her on a road trip they are planning to go on, to what they say is the best beach around, La Boca del Cielo, or Heaven's Mouth - which they've invented. She declines, but when her husband (Tenoch's writer cousin) calls her in tears to tell her of an infidelity, changes her mind, and calls the boys - who are forced to rustle up a car, and a plan. The ensuing road trip tests their friendship and their sexuality.
It's crisply shot, consistently funny, and still manages to feel like it's got more going on than in an average teen road movie. As the Charolastras or Space Cowboys, as they dub themselves, Tenoch, Julio and their friends get stoned, masturbate furiously and jam around to a teenage coda. Luisa's own crisis, and its resolution, finds its release in helping the two teens begin their graduation out of that teenworld to adulthood, some apparently complicated sex (not at all, as everyone who sees the film is at pains to stress, gratuitous), and encounters with rural folk, into whose lives we are given a brief insight by the omniscient narrator.
The film wears its politics lightly, but manages to give a clear impression of a Mexico that is changing, even growing up. From the heavily-guarded appearance of the President at the party at the start of the film, to the horde of pigs trampling the campsite, and the invasion of tourist hotels at the end, Alfonso Cuaron handles the two levels of the film skillfully and enjoyably, never overburdening the spectator with too much weight or too much fluff. Along with the excellent performances, from Garcia Bernal in particular, this makes for a lighter, but equally praiseworthy, Mexican follow-up to Amores Perros. In short, just go and see the bloody thing.
Reviewed by Sameer Padania
Reader comments about Y tu mamá también
Shannon (Email address withheld) writes:
I really enjoyed this movie.
The main theme was about the 'coming' of age of two teenage Mexican boys. Sub-themes can be found throughout the movie though. Tenoch and Julio were about a friendship of convenience. Luisa was searching for a way to escape a number of haunting realities. And the crassness and carelessness of the events within the car juxtaposed with the serious disturbing scenes occurring outside the car was very effective. This is not a teen movie, and thank god not Hollywood. It offers a great look into Mexican life, and deals with subjects in varying degrees of maturity.
Sarah (Email address withheld) writes:
This was the most enjoyable and surprising film I'd seen in some time. Having read rave reviews at the time of release, I was prepared to be impressed, but wasn't expecting to be quite so! I'd been led to expect a sexy, enjoyable, humourous teen road movie and I found all of those things -but more spectacular was the atmospheric depiction of hot summer days in one of the most culturally flambouyant and politically intriguing lands on earth. Following the trio on their journey stirred up a sweetly intertwined mix of warmth, humour and sadness and left me wanting to go through it all over again.
JS Asuncion (Email address withheld) writes:
This is one of those few films that you can brag to your friends that you have seen and appreciated. The best thing about this film is the blandness and humour of the dialogues and fortunately also reflects on the English subtitles. The sex scenes involving Tenoch are also artistically done. Kudos to the director!
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