Sunday

I've been wanting to watch Y Tu Mamá También for a while. It's one of those films, however, that I find it hard to motivate myself to watch. I'm terrible like that. It often occurs with foreign movies, even though when I've actually seen them I frequently feel more rewarded. The final spur for me to buy and view the movie came after I saw Children of Men, and realised Alfonso Cuarón directed this too. I thought this must be his breakthrough movie, but strangely it's not. He made movies in Mexico, then went to Hollywood, then came back to Mexico to do this (read more about his moving and why on the IMDb). He seems to be one of those directors who is struggling very hard to make the movies he wants to make, under constant pressure to do what studios want from him. Anyway, is it a good film? Yes, definitely. I left it feeling 'I want to see that again, right now'. Which is always good. There are some strange juxtapositions, however, of which I was uncertain. The first was between my expectations and what the film actually was - I was half right and half wrong. So I was a little disconcerted. The second juxtaposition is the main style in which the movie transmits its meaning: the characters play out their life seemingly innocently and foolishly at times, but we the audience get voice-overs telling us consequences, or related serious real-life events. The whole film is coloured in this way when we get to the end - which is perhaps why it demands a second viewing. Everything we've seen needs to be reinterpreted. It's annoying, but it's also very interesting. What I like about this film, however, and Cuarón, is the fluidity and the freedom of the camerawork. It seems to me at least as if everything is very easy. He captures the life of Mexico in his style as well as his content. There's more to say, but perhaps I'll save that for tomorrow.