Y tu mamá también

Title: Y tu mamá también
Released: 2001

Plot Summary

This racy film out of Mexico from director Alfonso Cuarón was one of Mexico's greats and was extremely well-received internationally. The story recounts the coming-of-age of the film's two young protagonists: Tenoch (Diego Luna) and Julio (Gael García Bernal), who were recently reunited in 2009 film Rudo y Cursi.

The basic plot is a road trip from DF to Boca de Cielo, a beach Tenoch and Julio have invented to invite Luisa, a thirtysomething Spaniard who happens to be married to Tenoch's philandering cousin.

The simple idea of the film contrasts with a more in-depth background, and a narration that provides context and connections to Mexico's politics, its countryside, and its way of life. In several scenes as the characters drive by while making small talk, they pass cars being searched by military police, which provides a tension and context for the current political situation.

Language Learning Notes

The Spanish in the film provides a bit of everything, from Tenoch and Julio's slang-filled vocabulary to Luisa's Spanish accent to the easy to understand yet thoughtful narration.