Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

Foreign movie of the week:
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

This setup of this movie is every teenage boy's wet dream. Best friends, Tenoch and Julio, have just finished high school. They decide to set off, out of Mexico City, and across country in search of a secret and legendary beach called Boca del Cielo (Mouth of Heaven). Before they set out, they meet Luisa, an attractive older woman who, for reasons of her own, decides to go with them. Why does she go with them? Don't ask stupid questions. What does it matter? - She goes. That's it!

Right about now, you're thinking "Oh, I can already see what happens. Teenage shenanigans, wanton sex, etc..... You would be right, of course. Plenty of teenage shenanigans (whatever the hell that means). But their dialog betrays the boy's immaturity and lack of world experience. And there is sex, although not as much as you might think, and not as hot as you might think. There is a sort of real awkwardness when a teenage boy and an older woman get together, that shows through here. It's funny and sad (and quick - real quick) at the same time. No, the crux of the movie is in the "etc....." part.

The boys have a lot to learn, as Luisa points out. They learn some of it on this trip and a big part of the rest, they learn at the very end of the movie. There is a revelation at the very end that makes you realize that you've been watching a very different kind of story than you thought. I won't say any more about it, except that it explains much.

All that said, the questions are:

is it hot? Yes, it is - in ways that are not obvious (I'm purposely being mysterious. It's one of my few indulgences).

is it a feel-good movie? definitely.

is it a comedy or a drama? Yes, and ...... yes.

Is it worth watching? I think so, otherwise I wouldn't suggest it. Steven J Schneider listed this movie in his book, "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". Film critic Roger Ebert, in his review, talks about the three layers of the film. The coming-of-age journey, the two Mexico's (the affluent Mexico and the impoverished one), and the third hidden layer. Each one on it's own makes the film worth watching.

what does "y tu mama tambien" mean? It means ".... and your mother too", as in, "Yeah, I schtupped your sister ............... and your mother too." I think that's where the shenanigans come in.

Enjoy.