Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Stars: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna
Runtime: 106 minutes

Synopsis: In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other.

Verdict: Calling Alfonso Cuarón’s filmography rich could be perceived as a massive understatement. With entries such as “Gravity”, “Roma”, “Children of Men”, or “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, he has established himself as one of the most prolific directors of his generation, as proven by the two Oscars he has collected so far. But it’s with “Y Tu Mamá También”, released in 2001, that the filmmaker’s career truly took off. A road trip adventure shared between two young teenagers and an older woman, the film’s deep understanding of human identity, intimacy, and liberty instantly turned it into a modern classic and a personal favorite of mine for many reasons.

The first being Luisa Cortés, a 28-year-old Spanish dental assistant unhappily married to a faux-writer and whose complex search for freedom drives the narrative impeccably. Portrayed by a Maribel Verdú at the top of her game, she’s introduced to us as a woman living under a giant grey cloud of decisions she had to make when she was younger. She’s in denial about her sorrows, masking them with public forced smiles and private emotional breakdowns. When two free-spirited teenagers invite her on a trip to a local beach, she’s hesitant to accept at first but knows that this may be her chance to experience control over her life for a change, something she had been desperately craving for a very long time and that is rendered even more impactful by a revelation made by the end of the film.

Julio and Tenoch, on the other hand, are best friends living the best years of their lives. Or at least that’s what they convince themselves of doing with their incessant sexual fantasies, drug use, and privileged positions. When they receive a call from Luisa telling them that she’d like to join them on their long beach trip, they’re naturally livid. The expedition for them was destined to become one filled with incredible memories but, instead, it quickly turns into one of growth. Their journey is all about dropping the deceitful façade they had on, to understand the true nature of their relationship with each other and with themselves.

One also cannot talk about “Y Tu Mamá También” without mentioning Emmanuel Lubezki’s stunning work behind the camera. He once again proves why he’s one of the best cinematographers of all time by magnificently and dynamically capturing a Mexican landscape that, much like the characters themselves, is also going through a rather dramatic change in identity. Alfonso Cuarón truly crafted something worth reflecting on with this feature. It’s a flawless work of art that I’ll be revisiting as soon and as frequently as possible.

FINAL GRADE: 10/10