Y tu mamá también (2001)

4/5

Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también tells the stunning, unforgettable emotional journey of two young Mexicans on a road trip with a sexy older woman. It is both a tender, funny coming-of-age drama and an exploratory character study of a woman who chooses to join these boys and teach them to mature--both sexually and as human beings--for reasons of her own. Suffice it to say, there are some secrets that are revealed during the journey that explore the characters and their motivations, adding unexpected layers to already complex characters.

As in Children of Men, this movie contains several evocative long tracking shots. Here they are used often during sex scenes and, in my opinion, serve the purpose of deglamorizing the kind of pornographic sex we see in Hollywood movies. They add to the reality and rawness inherent in life that is often lost during filming and editing. Other directorial choices make strong impressions on me as well. There is voice-over narration, but not the lazy, plot point-revealing narration that pisses me off. The choice of what information is and is not revealed through narration fascinates me. It seems to tell a completely different story, about the new, poverty-stricken Mexico that many remain unexposed to.

The performances by all parties are incredible, more than believable, and the other technical aspects are more than competent (although not in any way exceptional). And yet, despite all these positive aspects I find while analyzing the movie, it just didn't fully affect me. I was touched, but not moved. I was impressed, but not awestruck. How universal are the themes? Am I just watching a technically-adequate movie, or does it apply to my life in some way? How does it change me? I can't say it does, but to the sexually confused and/or Mexicans who can get more out of this work of art than I can, I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0245574/

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

4/5

For me, Pan's Labyrinth didn't live up to the hype. It's still a good movie though: vividly envisioned and surprisingly deep (emotionally and thematically). The mood was pitch perfect throughout, with nothing feeling different when switching from the real world to the fantasy realm. The interconnectedness between the two environments is perhaps a bit hidden if you don't discuss the movie afterwards, and can be easily missed. The acting on the part of the little girl was absolutely incredible (I am thinking specifically of the scene where she is begging her brother not to hurt her mother when he is born).

The transitions killed me; as Erik said, it was like Star Wars all over again with the ludicrous wipes in every conceivable direction and variety every five seconds. I felt the violence was gratuitous and probably didn't add that much to the mood (although I obviously can't be certain). There were even some inconsistencies in the violence; sometimes nothing happened when someone got shot in the head (no bullet holes or blood coming out of their face), while other times it was senselessly grotesque. Regardless, it's a thoroughly entertaining movie that can generate healthy discussion afterwards; just be wary of how graphic the violence in the film is.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0457430/