Y Tu Mamá También (2001)—Read Along
“Life is like the surf, so give yourself away like the sea”
Originally penned and published a decade ago and included within a career opus love-in article for the films of director Alfonso Cuarón, here is my brief spoiler free appraisal of “Y Tu Mamá También” coupled with my Youtube channel reading of my review recorded late last Summer.
I hope you enjoy.
“Y Tu Mamá También” or “And Your Mama too” is a loose follow on from Alfonso Cuarón’s debut feature “Love in a Time of Hysteria” as it follows vaguely similar themes of sexual exploration and living a hedonistic, carefree life, however this is far superior to his cinematic debut and a firm lifelong favourite of mine. Numerous characters pervade this story but I will concentrate on the three main characters briefly below but for this film specifically I wish to keep my treatise brief, to the point and hopefully in a way that will entice you to track down a copy of this gem and view for yourself. It’s firstly clearly a deeply personal film for the director and an ode and love story to his homeland of Mexico and of Mexican life. The film can be easily summarised as a simple “Road Trip” movie and a trip to a somewhat mysterious beach and of three characters (two young impressionable men and an older lady) thrown together by circumstance and by lust and adventure. The film has a seemingly pervasive narrative strand of everyone having a past, of escapism, adventure, thrill seeking and wringing everything possible out of every experience. But I’ve loved this film for over fifteen years purely because it’s so difficult to summarise and it’s astounding, deeply affecting, provocative, funny, alarming, melancholic, shocking and not always an easy film to watch. Throw in a search for identity, a loss of innocence, sexual awakening, lies, deceit, friendship, love, lust and loss and you have a wonderful and deeply affecting piece of cinema.
Your three main characters are:
“Julio Zapata” (Gael García Bernal) A working class “Chorolastra” and “Bond of Brotherhood” with Tenoch (below) his aims are purely to get high, enjoy life and be the teller of tall tales. This is yet another stellar performance from a wonderfully talented Mexican actor who first came to my attention in the brilliant debut feature from Alejandro González Iñárritu “Amores Perros” in 2000. In the fifteen years since Bernal has starred brilliantly in “The Motorcycle Diaries” (as Che Guevera), “The King” and in Iñárritu’s brilliant “Babel” in 2006. Bernal is an actor that always captures your attention and here as Julio is no different.
“Tenoch Iturbide” (Diego Luna) Middle class with a sumptuous lifestyle and high profile if overbearing parents, Tenoch shares his best friend’s desires to get high and wring as much out of his young life as possible. Small roles in “Milk” and “Elysium” followed his breakthrough performance here.
“Luisa Cortes” (Maribel Verdú) A free spirit constrained by either life itself or her somewhat ill advised choices. At 27, Luisa is far older than her young male companions & her life experience as well as world weariness show this in spades. Never comfortable, settled & always seeking the ultimate thrill, this is a wonderful performance from Maribel Verdú who would go on to star in Guillermo Del Toro’s brilliant 2006 hit “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
“Y Tu Mamá También” can also be found surrounded by many hundreds more spoiler free film appraisals within my 7 volumes of “Essential Film Reviews Collection” on Amazon and should you have an Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” package, all 7 volumes are free to read. As are the following nine self-published books also available via Amazon.
"The Essential Film Reviews Collection" VOL.7 - link to Amazon
Thanks for reading. I hope this message in a bottle in The Matrix finds you well, prospering, and the right way up in an upside down world.