DVD Reviews: Y Tu Mama Tambien

One look at the cover of this movie and it will be understood from the outset that this is a movie about a menage e’ troi, and you may be missing a lot of what it’s about.  Y MAMA TAMBIEN or “YMT” as its better known as off shore, is a complex web of drama filled passion.  Not that it is incredibly fun being a voyeur for a substantial proportion of the film unless you’re in the mood for some raunchy on-screen action (of course this does not mean I am complaining but you know what I mean!). 

The stars of the film explore the dynamics of passion and the retribution when lines are crossed between friendship and love.  Two of the main characters Tenoch and Julio are best friends and they go to a family wedding.  At the wedding the two boys (who are 17 by the way) meet Luisa, a wife of Tenoch’s cousin (age 28).  They ask if she’d like to travel to Heaven’s Mouth, which happens to be a fictional Locale they dreamt up to hide the fact that all they want is a bit of “Action”.  A few days later after a chain of events, Luisa rings to say she’d like to come.  And inevitably everything follows its due course. 

The subtitles in the film were a little hard to read since some lingered for long moments and other flashed before the whole sentence could be read.  Luckily the movie is layered enough for a second watch and this problem can be overcome.  The reason for this is that the translators were putting exactly what the actors are saying at the time, on the screen.  And because Spanish is a language with different phrases, a differentiation occurs. 

The one thing that interested me amongst others is that when looking at the front cover, you can’t help but judge it on the picture shown.  By the looks of it this movie was targeted at people with an interest in raunchy action but there is more to the movie than just this.  There are power-plays between the three characters and complexities that sets it above some Hollywood movies.   

Definitely this is a film to be enjoyed by adults with a curiosity for slightly unorthodox relationships.  Other films that this is similar to is Threesome, an American movie which is done slightly differently.  This film was not as entertaining, although it did have more depth and ramifications than its American brethren.   

The Spaniards are an intelligent bunch risking putting more depth at the cost of entertainment value.  This balance has been outweighed slightly in the dull intellectual intensity that throbs throughout. As opposed to simple humour and plot that could have had it being a hit the world over. 

There is not a lot of music to speak of, which certainly lowers the overall mark down a few notches.  The sound is only useful for the rising and lowering inflections to tell if they are telling a joke or being serious.   

The extras involve a doco to give insight into the background of the making of this film.  For fans of foreign cinema it comes recommended as for others that are budding living room Psychologists or an inquisitive mind it’s an interesting case study, and for those who enjoy those late-night SBS flicks could do worse.  My opinion is that it is not the best film to watch because of the culture differentiation and humour differences, between Western and European society.  May be too serious for some.