Saturday, April 06, 2002

Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mama, Too) (IMDB) (Netflix)
I got carded for this movie, which hasn't happened in, well, never you mind how long it's been. The producers of this critically acclaimed Mexican film decided to not go for an MPAA rating, because they knew they'd get an NC-17 for its realistic sex scenes (as opposed to an R for just about any movie with hyper-realistic violence). If you're uncomfortable with R-rated love scenes, this will stretch you a little, but not nearly as much as, say, "Saving Ryan's Privates."

A pair of recent high school grads con a beautiful, slightly older married woman into coming with them to a beach that they're not even sure exists. The boys have about as much depth as cheap chrome plating on a trailer hitch, and less maturity, but the woman, she's got troubles, and how her vulnerabilities intersect with the boys' untamed horniness forms the core of the film. As mentioned above, the critics are universal in praising this road/coming-of-age film, and I'll agree it's better than most of the stuff coming out, but there's some raggedness around the edges (there's a class-consciousness theme that never quite gels), and it relies on narration for its exposition, rather than organically through the story. Go, but bring your ID.