Y Tu Mama Tambien
Um. Wow. Nothing like a well-made foreign film to show you just how repressed and inhibited American cinema is. Let's just say that the title (which means "And Your Mother Too") has an extra layer of meaning. Holy Toledo! The LEAST explicit scene in this movie is the opening shot of the main character and his girlfriend having full-nude intercourse in full view of the camera. And after you see the last sexual scene in the movie, you'll understand why this movie was not widely released in the US, nor was it submitted to the ratings board for approval. (No, really?!)
But it's also a gorgeous movie. Story-wise it's not really a genre I like -- coming-of-age movies are just not my thing. But for a coming-of-age movie it was different, at least in terms of the setting. So that was kinda interesting. It'd be hard not to like these characters.
The main reason to see this movie, however, is that it was made by Alfonso Cuaron. He did it in the same style as his most recent film, "Children of Men", and it's not hard to see the similarities. Both are "road movies", and both feature extensive use of "long shots". Tambien, of course, had no special effects to speak of, but he makes the shots interesting through a number of really interesting ideas.
The style is very slick, and I imagine I missed a great deal in this first viewing. Some of the things I did catch were so subtle that I was pretty sure I missed other things. Note, for example, the specific positioning of the teddy bear hanging from the rear view mirror as the movie progresses. There's one shot in particular with that bear in it that was really great.
Definitely worth seeing, even if for no other reason than to see the work of a great film maker at the height of his power. But in the name of all that is holy, make sure the kids don't sneak into the room!
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