Review of Y Tu Mamá También (2001) by Emile H — 27 Mar 2017

What seems to be a teen sex comedy in concept proves to be something deeper and more authentic in effect. Director Alfonso Cuarón somehow captures the raw sexual desire of teenage boys and situates it in a real context, showing how the boys' naïveté and inexperience leads to learning and growth when allowed the opportunity from an older woman.

Of course, that last phrase reads like pure fantasy and the film certainly courts implausibility when Maribel Verdú calls to accept the offer to drive to a remote and hidden beach with Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.

But her motives are eventually revealed and things make sense - her relationship has fallen apart and she seeks escape (or that is what we infer). Beyond the sexual level and the relationship level, the film also operates on a third level - as a comparison of the middle/upper class lives of the three main characters and the abject poverty of the people in the Mexican countryside that they pass through on their journey (replete with roaming police and military).

The camerawork, hand-held or travelling shots, filmed on location lends added authenticity. And as with many a coming-of-age tale, there is a wistful quality here, particularly enhanced by the authorial narration that punctuates several scenes and the coda looking back on events.

Ultimately, the film pushes boundaries in a satisfying way - but it is definitely NSFW or for those who might shy away from frankness (in word and deed).