Y Tu Mama Tambien: The Criterion Collection

By: David Gorgos
In-House Review - May 16 2014

Tenoch and Julio (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal - in the role that brought them international fame), Mexico City teenagers and best friends, are living quite the carefree life while their girlfriends travel out of the country: smoking dope, mooching drinks at political functions, and masturbating the summer away (the diving board scene will knock your socks off).

On a lark, they invite the beautiful, more mature Luisa (Maribel Verdú) on a road trip to a secret beach that doesn't exist; when she surprisingly accepts, they set off on a slightly ridiculous journey that will change all of their lives. For Luisa, the trip will allow her to experience a life free of her philandering husband, while the boys naturally take turns trying to get into her pants. It has all the trappings of a teen comedy (and comes complete with profane humor and a requisite cum shot), but this intimately insightful film delves much deeper, especially into the strains that sexuality places on friends who share everything.

Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna are so relaxed and uninhibited in their roles, that their bond becomes palpable. Alfonso Cuaron paints a vivid portrait of Mexico: its volatile mix of military muscle, new development, and near-poverty affects our threesome at each step. This is a world rarely shown in America: not only the real Mexico, but the uncensored lives of teenagers and a twentysomething woman, each experiencing pain and comedy alike with compelling honesty.

By: David Gorgos
In-House Review - May 16 2014

Tenoch and Julio (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal - in the role that brought them international fame), Mexico City teenagers and best friends, are living quite the carefree life while their girlfriends travel out of the country: smoking dope, mooching drinks at political functions, and masturbating the summer away (the diving board scene will knock your socks off).

On a lark, they invite the beautiful, more mature Luisa (Maribel Verdú) on a road trip to a secret beach that doesn't exist; when she surprisingly accepts, they set off on a slightly ridiculous journey that will change all of their lives. For Luisa, the trip will allow her to experience a life free of her philandering husband, while the boys naturally take turns trying to get into her pants. It has all the trappings of a teen comedy (and comes complete with profane humor and a requisite cum shot), but this intimately insightful film delves much deeper, especially into the strains that sexuality places on friends who share everything.

Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna are so relaxed and uninhibited in their roles, that their bond becomes palpable. Alfonso Cuaron paints a vivid portrait of Mexico: its volatile mix of military muscle, new development, and near-poverty affects our threesome at each step. This is a world rarely shown in America: not only the real Mexico, but the uncensored lives of teenagers and a twentysomething woman, each experiencing pain and comedy alike with compelling honesty.

By: gbelly

By: Laurent

I don't know why this is marketed as a gay movie. They wake up one morning in a tent together, after a night of drinking and not knowing what happened, can barely look at each other...that's the 'Interesting' part. The other 99.5% of the movies is straight and boring. Save your money. If you can rent it for $1 that 50 cents too much, but if you must, have at it.

By: lilwicked

In this amazingly shot Spanish subtitled movie, you start out with a story that has a "boys will be boys" feel to it, but as Tenoch and Julio go about their day to day life drinking, smoking, and bed hopping they stumble upon Maribel. The boys see a beautiful older woman, but there is more than meets the eye. Maribel, having just discovered that her husband is cheating and she has cancer, is in a very empowered place in her life. Of course this story would move nowhere without the ever-popular "road trip" as these three characters travel towards and unknown beach and an unknown future. Maribel tests the limits and friendship of the two young, self proclaimed studs. Over their heads, the boys rise and fall under the manipulations of the ever enchanting Maribel. Through the journey, their spirit is freed, the truth is revealed, and their minds are expanded. The movie is powerful, provocative, and honest.

By: lilwicked

In this amazingly shot Spanish subtitled movie, you start out with a story that has a "boys will be boys" feel to it, but as Tenoch and Julio go about their day to day life drinking, smoking, and bed hopping they stumble upon Maribel. The boys see a beautiful older woman, but there is more than meets the eye. Maribel, having just discovered that her husband is cheating and she has cancer, is in a very empowered place in her life. Of course this story would move nowhere without the ever-popular "road trip" as these three characters travel towards and unknown beach and an unknown future. Maribel tests the limits and friendship of the two young, self proclaimed studs. Over their heads, the boys rise and fall under the manipulations of the ever enchanting Maribel. Through the journey, their spirit is freed, the truth is revealed, and their minds are expanded. The movie is powerful, provocative, and honest.

By: Queer & Loathing

It's a mystery to me why this movie is being so aggressively marketed to a gay audience, except maybe the producers think that we're desperate to look at two horny teenagers, so desperate in fact that we'll sit through 85 minutes of sheer boredom to see one erotic kiss between two teens, one of whom is about as sexy as a melting ice cream pop. I found the narration intrusive, with a "tacked-on" feel that disrupted the story instead of adding to it. I agree with other reviewers that this film is real. The problem for me is that I have no interest in seeing a "real" depiction of two snotty heterosexual horny teenagers competing for a piece of pussy while they get high and call each other "maricon" every five minutes. Even with my marginal Spanish, the fact that these two social misfits despise and vilify "faggots" right through the poorly translated sub-titles, to the point where I felt my pressure rapidly rising. I kept thinking that this movie reminded me of every reason why I avoid straight teens to begin with. They're crude, arrogant, boring, homophobic and seem to care about nothing but playing practical jokes, getting high and getting laid. I generally like foreign "art" films; this one almost put me to . If you're interested in teens, skip "y tu Mama..." and see L.I.E. instead - at least it has some redeeming points to it.

By: Queer & Loathing

It's a mystery to me why this movie is being so aggressively marketed to a gay audience, except maybe the producers think that we're desperate to look at two horny teenagers, so desperate in fact that we'll sit through 85 minutes of sheer boredom to see one erotic kiss between two teens, one of whom is about as sexy as a melting ice cream pop. I found the narration intrusive, with a "tacked-on" feel that disrupted the story instead of adding to it. I agree with other reviewers that this film is real. The problem for me is that I have no interest in seeing a "real" depiction of two snotty heterosexual horny teenagers competing for a piece of pussy while they get high and call each other "maricon" every five minutes. Even with my marginal Spanish, the fact that these two social misfits despise and vilify "faggots" right through the poorly translated sub-titles, to the point where I felt my pressure rapidly rising. I kept thinking that this movie reminded me of every reason why I avoid straight teens to begin with. They're crude, arrogant, boring, homophobic and seem to care about nothing but playing practical jokes, getting high and getting laid. I generally like foreign "art" films; this one almost put me to . If you're interested in teens, skip "y tu Mama..." and see L.I.E. instead - at least it has some redeeming points to it.

By: Mark

I liked it but was waiting for the story to get going for so long that I forgot what it was about. It was slow, but good. Yes what you can see of the jack-off sceen is erotic, and there is a story of like and all but it was not what I was expecting, for the description I was waiting in excitement to see it, now I cant think of why...

By: Mark

I liked it but was waiting for the story to get going for so long that I forgot what it was about. It was slow, but good. Yes what you can see of the jack-off sceen is erotic, and there is a story of like and all but it was not what I was expecting, for the description I was waiting in excitement to see it, now I cant think of why...

By: YS

By: YS

By: foray3

Unlike Roger Ebert, I didn't go to critics' school, but I know what I like. Also unlike Roger Ebert, I didn't like Y Tu Mama Tambien. It's depressing, not funny and, after seeing the trailer, very disappointing. The portentous, overbearing political narration interferes with the flow and mood of the movie. Even the "diving board scene" fails to live-up to its hype (though it did make me wary of swimming in country clubs' pools.) If I had seen this movie in a theater before it became available on video, I would not have bought the DVD. So, I give it two "thumbs down," though I'm still undecided about the position of any other fingers.

By: foray3

Unlike Roger Ebert, I didn't go to critics' school, but I know what I like. Also unlike Roger Ebert, I didn't like Y Tu Mama Tambien. It's depressing, not funny and, after seeing the trailer, very disappointing. The portentous, overbearing political narration interferes with the flow and mood of the movie. Even the "diving board scene" fails to live-up to its hype (though it did make me wary of swimming in country clubs' pools.) If I had seen this movie in a theater before it became available on video, I would not have bought the DVD. So, I give it two "thumbs down," though I'm still undecided about the position of any other fingers.