Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Dir: Alfonso Cuarón

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Director Alfonso Cuarón has some of the most highly regarded films of the century amongst his filmography, and one of them that I was absolutely desperate to get to was this romantic comedy from all the way back in 2001. I am usually a big fan of coming-of-age stories, and this one has been very highly acclaimed, so I was fairly comfortable with the notion that I would enjoy it.

At first, I wasn't a big fan of the narration, but it grew on me very quickly. It not only allowed for the quick transference of information to the audience, but it gave the film a whole lot more emotional weight, particularly during the climactic minutes of the film, which had a very emotional punch to them. The cinematography utilised handheld shots a lot, often feeling slightly voyeuristic, which ended up being a very clever decision, in my mind. It worked extremely well.

I was aware before watching it that the film had a fair amount of nudity in it, and I had been intrigued to see how well it was presented. The answer to that was twofold. On the one hand, it was very explicit and steamy in the way it was shot, but, on the other, I felt like the way Cuarón filmed the various scenes did not feel gratuitous in any way, but gave them clear narrative purpose, binding them into the literal and metaphorical journey of self-discovery that the three characters were on.

My initial feelings towards the plot were that it was amusing, if a little vulgar. But just as I was beginning to suspect that this was just a well-shot piece of erotic cinema, Cuarón intertwined some absolutely outstanding emotional storytelling, particularly in the second half of the film, which I found quite brilliant. There were some incredibly emotional and poignant moments, especially towards the end.

This was Diego Luna's breakout role, and it was very clear to see why. He portrayed his character's growth very believably, and showed a decent degree of both charisma and vulnerability in the process. Gael Garcia Bernal didn't quite shine as brightly as Luna, in my opinion, but he still turned in a very good performance. He had some really good scenes in the first half of the film, and had natural chemistry with Luna.

I felt that Maribel Verdú was absolutely marvellous in her role. She played off her younger counterparts very well, and proved to be an excellent juxtaposition of their more juvenile personalities. That said, she also infused a tremendous level of emotion into her performance, especially during her solo scenes, that meant that her character's journey felt all the much more impactful.

Overall, I felt like this was a very good, and slightly surprising, film. The comedy was solid throughout, but the real strength of this production came in its emotional impact. For a film that disguised itself as a story about two young men trying to get off, it sure was poignant. I'm very glad I took the time to watch this unusual road-trip comedy, it was very much worth doing so.