Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (AND YOUR MOTHER TOO)

Mexico, 2001, 105 minutes, Colour.
Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna.
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron.

Y Tu Mama Tambien was written by brothers Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron. While Alfonso began his directing career in Mexico, he moved to Hollywood for some television episodes of Fallen Angels and made the films, A Little Princess and Great Expectations. A Little Princess was very a family-oriented film and Great Expectations an update of Dickens’ classic. It is something of a surprise to see him move to this film with its focus on teenagers and their sexual preoccupations and a road film where the two young men accompany a disillusioned wife on a road journey through Mexico to find the utopian, paradisal beach.

Cuaron then went on to make the third Harry Potter film as well as the film version of P.D. James’s apocalyptic story, Children of Men.

The strength of the film is in the central performances. Maribel Verdu portrays the disillusioned wife, caught up with the two young men, emboldened by her journey to more explicit sexual behaviour. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal were friends for many years and made films together. In this film, they work together as friends – but, towards the end of the film, in a strange sexual encounter, a feeling of alienation springs up and the aftermath of the episode we see in the film is somewhat bitter as the two become estranged.

Diego Luna began a career in Hollywood with such films as Open Range and The Criminal. Gael Garcia Bernal had a much more successful career with a strong of very significant films in Mexico and in Spain: Amores Perros, The Crime of Padre Amaro, The Motorcycle Diaries, Bad Education, The King.

1. The success of the film worldwide? In Mexico, festivals, the English-speaking world as well as the Spanish-speaking world? Its appeal and impact?

2. Its place in American cinema, realism, fantasy, themes and issues?

3. The Mexican locations, the city, homes and streets, the supermarkets? The road, the various landscapes, the villages, the beaches? Water? Mexico and its landscapes as a character in the film?

4. The title, the focus on sex and relationships, men and their rivalry, the reference to Tenoch's mother? Its offbeat tone?

5. The importance of the voice-over, the serious tone, the realistic sounds stopping, the punctuation of the narrative with information about the characters, their parents, pieces of information available only to the audience and not to other characters, the ironies in the commentary, the focus also on the future? The comment on the characters, behaviour and themes?

6. The film as a road movie: the characters and their situations, the reasons for going on the road, the development of the journey, the characters changing, the sense of quest and goal, the achievement of the goal, the aftermath?

7. The film's commentary on Mexico and social issues: being held up on the streets by protests and Julio's sister as a leftist. The incident of the dead worker on the street unable to walk the extra miles to cross the bridge to his work, his body not reclaimed for several days, the bride on the roadside and the collection of money, the National Guard and the holding up of cars, people? Funerals, village life and the shops, the motels and hotels, restaurants? The issues of class and the different homes, Tenoch and his attitude towards the servants (and remembering his nanny's village but not going to see it)? The group at the society wedding, the president and people fawning on him, the horses, horsemen and the mariachis?

8. The film's focus on sexuality: earthy, raunchy, sensual, nudity, frankness? Young men and their promiscuity, Latin culture and rites of passage, their lies and self-assertion, issues of fidelity and infidelity, themselves and their girlfriends, the macho emphasis on heterosexuality, the seeming disdain of suggestions of homosexual behaviour, their having to learn through this experience and mature? Their relationship at the end - with each other, sexual attraction, the night, the aftermath and Tenoch being sick, and their not seeing each other again?

9. The opening, the initial emphasis on sexual relationships, Julio and Cecilia, Tenoch and Anna? Going to the airport, the joke about getting the passport, jokes about the girls with Italian men? Their boredom during the holidays, going with Saba, the drugs, the parties, being sick, accidents with the car? Going to the pool, the swimming races, the masturbation? The wedding and making mischief with Tenoch's cousin?

10. The portrait of the different parents, of the boys, of the girls? Professional life, divorce, permissive, restrictive? Their not understanding their children well?

11. Louisa at the wedding, their meeting her, attracted to her, the discovery that she was married to Tenoch's cousin? The commentary on her life, her history with her aunt, her marriage, her work, his infidelities?

12. Their suggesting the trip, boasting, the mouth of heaven? Their explanation to Louisa? Her ringing them up after discovering her husband's infidelity and his sobbing phone call? Their hastily getting together, borrowing the car, going to the supermarket? Their slang and their brotherhood, Saba, Daniel and his coming out of the closet? Their explanation of their declaration of their beliefs - and Louisa giving her version later to control them? Setting out on the trip, chat, boasting, sex?

13. Louisa and her sadness, her attitude towards her husband, packing, going on the trip, sitting in the hotel and weeping? Knowing that they were looking in the window? Tenoch coming into the room and her asking him to take the towel off? Her encounter with Julio in the back of the car? Their inadequate performance and her treatment of them? Her exasperation at their jealousy?

14. Each of them reacting in spite to the other, talking about their girlfriends? Louisa getting out of the car, their going after her, each confessing to the other, kneeling in the street? Her laying down strict rules for the rest of the journey?

15. Her discussion about sexuality and lovemaking, the intimations of homosexual-type behaviour and their crashing the car? Staying, the tyre being fixed? Louisa and the shops, the old lady, her phone call to her husband and explaining about the old lady and her memories? Buying the mouse?

16. On the road again, their being lost, going on the side road, the sand, discovering the beach, enjoying the sunbathing, the swimming?

17. The final evening: the seven-minute continuous take, their eating and drinking, dancing and the music, going to their rooms, Louisa's behaviour, the two attracted to each other, the morning after?

18. Louisa's illness, her going to the doctor, audience aware or not of her grave illness? Her deciding to stay, explore the coves, her death?

19. The fisherman and his wife and children, friendship, going out on the sea, fishing, going to the house, the meal? The commentary on changing society, the resort and his being ousted from fishing and having to be the janitor at an apartment block?

20. The aftermath, their meeting each other for the cup of coffee, their lives and their studies, their relationships, never seeing each other again?

21. The impact of the film as drama, as comedy, as focusing on sexuality in contemporary society?