Y tu mamá también

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Starring Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna

Prologue: Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Golden Globe last year. This illustrates a few things. For one I’m still confused as to why it takes so long to get quality foreign films shown in this country. The film was out early enough to receive Golden Globe consideration last year, so you’d think it would be possible to get it American distributorship sometime before June. It’s a minor issue but it does point out just how low down the American entertainment industry totem pole an excellent foreign film such as this fits. Secondly, I have to wonder if the rest of the world even cares enough at this point to be outraged by the manner in which the Academy Awards and Golden Globe treat films that don’t happen to have been made in English. If you look on the IMDB results summary for this past Golden Globes you’ll find 23 awards listed before Best Foreign Language Film. Pearl Harbor won one of them. It’s bad enough that A Beautiful Mind one about 19, but Pearl Harbor? The real shame of it is that these people don’t just admit that they’re giving out American movie awards, instead choosing to throw an occasional popular foreign favorite (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life is Beautiful) in an attempt to make the thing look legitimate. What it really says is either a) they really do consider every film in out and it just so happens that 95% of the best movies are American or b) a foreign film only counts if it sells a lot of tickets in America. I know these things are commercial and biased, but I’m still angry.

Review: So, the movie. Y tu mamá también is an excellent and complicated film. At this point I’d have to say it’s the best I’ve seen in 2002, although it’s qualification for ‘best of’ lists this year will perhaps be debatable. If you had to give a genre label it’s probably a road-trip movie, although I’d hate to be the guy at Blockbuster who has to decide whether it’s a drama or a comedy. The story centers around two adolescent males (played by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) who trick a good-looking lady (Maribel Verdú) into taking a long, essentially destinationless road trip with them. It’s sort of a movie about the two boys ‘coming-of-age’, but the plot is handled with far more subtlety and insight than your average Hollywood picture that gets saddled with such a tagline. The characters are complicated and interesting, with the actors displaying a true affinity for the roles and lines that have been written for them. Bernal and Luna have excellent chemistry and are especially well paired for the films more comical, lighthearted moments. Verdú is beautiful and intriguing, successfully communicating throughout the film that there is more to her character than meets the eye.

The film’s script is very interesting, employing the occasional use of an omniscient narrator to comment on the action. It’s an unusual decision and the effect is strong. The film’s narrative is linear for the most part but this off screen narrator provides information regarding things that take place both before and after the film’s story begins. The technique challenges the viewer to

Good times for Julio

take these pieces of information and determine their relationship to the action on screen. Sometimes it’s a fairly difficult task. I like the fact that the script makes you think but I must say that the way the film breaks into the action to give what often turns out to be fairly trivial information can be a bit disconcerting and disruptive to the movie’s flow.

That's one excellent hat

everything still appears very natural. Cuarón makes an interesting move throwing in quite a few unmotivated camera movements (i.e. they don’t follow a character or anything moving on screen). Through the use of this technique Cuarón is able to communicate subtle, background information as well crafting some shots that are just very cool. Some of the film’s static shots are equally impressive. At one point we see two phone booths back to back, each with small windows. Through the one on the right is Verdú framed tightly as she struggles with her husband on the phone. Reflected on the left window we see the two boys playing foosball. I’m not sure how the shot was created, but it really is outstanding. The film also features outstanding handheld work, something that’s always nice to see.

On the whole this is a truly excellent film, and I recommended strongly that you search it out and see it. The film succeeds on almost every level. The acting is excellent, the story is touching, the scenery is beautiful and the direction is thoughtful and effective. Still, it’s not perfect and I would probably be a bit disappointed if it turned out to be my favorite film of the year. But just a bit.

P.S. A few things to consider:
1. Cuarón will be directing the third Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
2. Y tu mamá también features an underwater shot of semen flying into a swimming pool.
3. Point one, combined with point two, equals awesome.

RATING: 84%