Y Tu Mama Tambien
Seen: 2004-03-12
Overall: *** 1/2
Writing: *** 1/2
Acting: *** 1/2
Cinematography: ***
Art: ***
Direction: ***
Originality: *** 1/2
Enjoyment: ***
More Info
This is a tricky one to try to summarize, especially
by someone like me who studiously tries to avoid giving
away anything that might be considered a spoiler. I
operate on the theoretical assumptin that anyone who
reads my reviews and hasn't seen the movie is like me.
For movies where story is the central element, I prefer
to go in knowing as little as possible about what
happens, and let the film speak for itself, revealing
the canvas little by little, trustring that the screenwriter
and director have the vision and talent to create a
rewarding experience. In the case of this movie, I was
not let down.
For the first 30 or so minutes, I was somewhat lost.
Doing my best to try and take mental notes on which
characters the narrator kept referring back to,
what name in the subtitles to match up with which
face, trying to keep my eyes on both at the same time,
and hoping it would all start to make sense before long.
This necessary exposition laid the groundwork and set
the tone for what was to be the journey ahead.
I suppose I'm about to delve into something that
vaguely resembles spoiler territory, so anyone who is
like me that hasn't seen the movie can stop reading
here.
In the opening scene, designed to visually sear itself
into the viewer's memory for the remainder of the film
and beyond, a lie is told. The entire rest of the film
is spent gradually discovering the depth of that lie -- not
just in a strictly literal sense, but as a viewpoint more
broadly applied to life itself; a whole set of lies concocted
to make each moment more livable. The illusion of
innocence, torn away by the fundamentally transitory nature
of reality. (Often depressingly so.)
Set in Mexico, a strange cross between first world
wealth and third world poverty, the film shows a slice
out of the lives of two teenage boys, lifelong
friends, who make the journey from childhood into manhood.
It is also about a woman for whom a shattering
revelation becomes a ticket to finding herself.
There. That's my summary. If you want more details,
read somebody else's review.
This is a tricky one to try to summarize, especially by someone like me who studiously tries to avoid giving away anything that might be considered a spoiler. I operate on the theoretical assumptin that anyone who reads my reviews and hasn't seen the movie is like me. For movies where story is the central element, I prefer to go in knowing as little as possible about what happens, and let the film speak for itself, revealing the canvas little by little, trustring that the screenwriter and director have the vision and talent to create a rewarding experience. In the case of this movie, I was not let down.
For the first 30 or so minutes, I was somewhat lost. Doing my best to try and take mental notes on which characters the narrator kept referring back to, what name in the subtitles to match up with which face, trying to keep my eyes on both at the same time, and hoping it would all start to make sense before long. This necessary exposition laid the groundwork and set the tone for what was to be the journey ahead.
I suppose I'm about to delve into something that vaguely resembles spoiler territory, so anyone who is like me that hasn't seen the movie can stop reading here.
In the opening scene, designed to visually sear itself into the viewer's memory for the remainder of the film and beyond, a lie is told. The entire rest of the film is spent gradually discovering the depth of that lie -- not just in a strictly literal sense, but as a viewpoint more broadly applied to life itself; a whole set of lies concocted to make each moment more livable. The illusion of innocence, torn away by the fundamentally transitory nature of reality. (Often depressingly so.)
Set in Mexico, a strange cross between first world wealth and third world poverty, the film shows a slice out of the lives of two teenage boys, lifelong friends, who make the journey from childhood into manhood. It is also about a woman for whom a shattering revelation becomes a ticket to finding herself.
There. That's my summary. If you want more details, read somebody else's review.