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Y Tu Mama Tambien

Starring: Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Genre: Comedy
Year: 2002
Rating: 4 / 5

Reviewed by Guest Scribe Legend

Mexican cinema seems to be surging lately with several recent films winning international recognition. Three of them (Amores Perros, Y Tu Mamá También, and El Crimen del Padre Amaro) have one common denominator – the presence of the young and talented Gael García Bernal. In Y Tu Mamá También, García Bernal steps into the shoes of Julio, a teenager from a single-parent, middle-class household in Mexico City. Julio’s best friend is Tenoch (Diego Luna), the son of a rich politician. The two are inseparable, and do just about everything together, mostly drugs and buffoonery. When their girlfriends leave town for the summer to vacation in Italy, Julio and Tenoch find themselves with little to do. That is to say, until they meet Luisa – the wife of Tenoch’s cousin. When Luisa finds out she is being cheated on, she begs the two boys for an escape, setting off on an extensive road trip to the beach.

There are many levels to this film. The first, and most obvious, is that of rampant sexuality, mischief, and hyperactivity. But as the film begins to unfold, there is something much more in what could easily fly as a coming-of-age road trip / sexual romp. As the relationships among the three main characters break down, are repaired, and change, the film exposes a level of vulnerability and, in fact, sadness that takes time to emerge.

Those interested in Mexican sociology will be interested to know that the background of Y Tu Mamá También subtly depicts the elements of rural Mexico, a jarring contrast from the posh country clubs and race tracks dominating the first part of the film. Instead, we see the faces of indigenous, uneducated Mexicans and noticeable underdevelopment. Throughout the film, the sound blanks out and an omniscient narrator takes over, giving us details undiscoverable by dialogue, or telling us glimpses of the future.

This mélange of elements makes Y Tu Mamá También a memorable film, unusual especially in its frank delivery of sexual conduct. The conclusion, while anything but a typical Hollywood ending, I found especially poignant, not because it contains anything overly surprising, but simply because it strongly evokes emotions not fully drawn out in the remainder of this ribald and lighthearted film. The file also has a pretty good soundtrack, especially an Eagle-Eye Cherry cover of “You Don’t Know What It’s Like,” which gives the vibe of road trip with the windows down that you should be feeling.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for language and sexual content.
Running Time: 105 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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