Y tu mamá también

Item: Y tu mamá también
Rating: 5
Author: Frank Showalter

2001 | Mexico | 106 min | More...

Reviewed Mar 13, 2009

Two friends (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) uncover painful truths during a life-changing road trip with an older, married woman (Ana Morelos).

Y tu mamá también is a thought-provoking film. What starts as a light, comedic road-trip film evolves into an honest (sometimes brutally so) deconstruction of love, sex, friendship, and truth, that neither provokes, nor placates, and as a result leaves the viewer with something to turn over in their head for quite some time.

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s exclusive use of hand-held (but not shaky) cameras gives the story an intimate, almost documentary feel, yet he still retains a sense of style, delivering several memorable images.

The script by Cuarón and his brother Carlos is a masterpiece. Every line of dialogue feels true, and the character’s motivations and reactions never feel contrived or plot-driven. Further, the voice-over narration actually works and adds to the documentary feel.

Performance-wise, the three leads are amazing, as none of them ever seem to be acting, which again, maintains the illusion that you’re not watching a film as much as looking through a window at these character’s lives.

That said, Y tu mamá también is not for everyone. As mentioned, the film’s sometimes brutally honest look at honesty and sexuality will be a turn off for some, but those willing to accept Cuarón’s insights will find the experience quite rewarding, thus making the film an easy recommendation.

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