Movie Review for Y Tu Mama Tambien

Summary: Abandoned by their girlfriends for the summer, rich teenagers Tenoch and Julio meet older woman Luisa at a wedding. Trying to impress Luisa, the friends tell her they are headed on a road trip to a beautiful, secret beach called Boca del Cielo (Heaven's Mouth). Intrigued with their story and desperate to escape, Luisa asks if she can join them on their trip. Soon the three are headed out of Mexico City, making their way towards the fictional destination. Along the way Luisa seduces the two young men, and they begin to argue over her. As they continue their journey, caught up in their own world, the wealthy trio all but ignore the harsh realities of poverty that surround them.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Mike McGranaghan of Aisle Seat (7/0)
            It's about growing up, being more responsible about sex, understanding that it is an act that has...

By Brian Webster of Apollo Guide (7/0)
            A crude, sexy, funny, fascinating and revealing postcard from a Mexico that’s much more than what...

By Jon Lap of Apollo Guide (7/0)
            Cuaron as sexual pedagogue is a sham, as his advice is misguided and misinformed.

By Philip Martin of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (6/1)
            ... raunchy and wild and honest

By Mark Palermo of Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) (6/1)
            Whatever room might have been opened for introspection is vanquished by intrusive narration that ...

By Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid (7/0)
            Y Tu Mama Tambien is a most refreshing import and an absolute must-see for anyone open to it.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Harvey S. Karten of Compuserve (7/0)
            Sexy, playful, delightfully vulgar--and with political resonance as well.

By Gary Mairs of culturevulture.net (7/0)
            There's real power in the way Y Tu Mama Tambien works within the most pandering and trivial of ge...

By John J. Puccio of DVDTown.com (6/1)
            ...a lighthearted, risqué romp with dramatic overtones...and an uncompromising view of youth and ...

By Brian Mckay of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            Sexy, beautiful, hysterical, mesmerizing - one of the finest pieces of film I've seen in a while....

By Collin Souter of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            Alfonso Cuaron represents the best kind of filmmaker: A unique and gifted stylist truly in love w...

By Eugene Novikov of Film Blather (6/1)
            Remarkable in the way it weaves real poignancy into its disarmingly lighthearted exterior.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Norm Schrager of filmcritic.com (7/0)
            ...an original, harsh, funny slant on the traditional road movie, as experienced by two Mexican t...

By Norm Schrager of filmcritic.com (6/1)
            There are coming-of-age movies out there nearly all the time, but very few with the heart and wil...

By Moira Sullivan of FilmFestivals.com (7/0)
            The allegorical name of the beach (Mouth of Heaven) is one of several obvious sexual innuendoes ...

By Victoria Alexander of FilmsInReview.com (6/1)
            Be forewarned -- there's plenty of male genitalia and vulgar language.

By Michael W. Phillips, Jr. of Goatdog's Movies (7/0)
            An incredibly joyous and life-affirming film that gushes with the energy and daring that is incre...

By Joe Mader of Hollywood Reporter (7/0)
            Frankly sexual and shockingly modern...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Steve Rhodes of Internet Reviews (6/1)
            Told with bold exuberance by Mexican Director Alfonso Cuarón, think of it as a road trip cross of...

By Bruce Kirkland of Jam! Movies (7/0)
            As bittersweet as it is sexy, the movie also shows how superficial the portraits of Mexico are in...

By JoBlo of JoBlo's Movie Emporium (7/0)
            It delivered in laughs, moments of surprise, drama and beauty.

By Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times (7/0)
            Manages to be comic, dramatic, erotic, sociological and even political, all without breaking a sw...

By Gabriel Shanks of Mixed Reviews (7/0)
            Would that we all could 'breathe life' the way this film does.

By Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (7/0)
            A quietly shattering film that left me in mind of Gertrude Stein's disheartening sentence, "Littl...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Frank Ochieng of Movie Eye (6/1)
            Vastly sardonic and intoxicating, Y Tu Mama Tambien is a bristle and unconventionally welcoming e...

By Jeremy Heilman of MovieMartyr.com (7/0)
            Like its characters, Y Tu Mama has a great distance to go before it becomes enlightening.

By Jim Chastain of Norman Transcript (6/1)
            It is different from others in its genre in that it is does not rely on dumb gags, anatomical hum...

By Edward Johnson-Ott of NUVO Newsweekly (6/1)
            Brash, funny, sexually frank and extremely smart.

By Frank Swietek of One Guy's Opinion (7/0)
            Coarse and titillating--you could well feel like referring to it as 'Mexican Pie'...The mere fact...

By Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews (7/0)
            It won me over with its genuine poignancy.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Jon Popick of Planet Sick-Boy (6/1)
            The pedigree is much stronger than what you'd find in a typical teen rank-out comedy.

By Rod Armstrong of Reel.com (7/0)
            Though Mama takes a bit too long to find its rhythm and a third-act plot development is somewhat ...

By Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews (6/1)
            the film belongs to the marvelous Verdu, a sexy slip of an earth mother who mourns her tragedies ...

By Peter Travers of Rolling Stone (7/0)
            Road movies don't come hotter than Y Tu Mama Tambien ...

By Jim Lane of Sacramento News & Review (6/1)
            Deeper and more substantial than it looks at first glance.

By Charles Taylor of Salon.com (4/3)
            Alfonso Cuaron's sexually explicit Mexican road movie burns with lustful jokes, liberating joy an...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Sean Axmaker of Seattle Post-Intelligencer (7/0)
            ...a vivid, thoughtful, unapologetically raw coming-of-age tale full of sex, drugs and rock 'n' r...

By Rob Blackwelder of SPLICEDWire (7/0)
            Just like his characters, writer-director Alfonso Cuarón...takes the road less traveled.

By Paul Salfen of Supercala.com (6/1)
            A very enjoyable road trip/buddy movie for the open-minded.

By Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone of TheMovieChicks.com (7/0)
            The last 20 minutes are somewhat redeeming, but most of the movie is the same teenage American ro...

By Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide's Movie Guide (7/0)
            A raunchy Mexican teen comedy with surprising depth and the nerve to confront subtexts that norma...

By Ian Waldron-Mantgani of UK Critic (7/0)
            A wonderful, forgiving movie -- one that understands how desire sometimes sidetracks us, because ...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Urban Cinefile Critics of Urban Cinefile (7/0)
            A raunchy and amusing road movie, Y Tu Mama Tambien is an entertaining and often frivolous explor...

By Elvis Mitchell of New York Times (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            ...is fast, funny, unafraid of sexuality and finally devastating.

By Phil Villarreal of Arizona Daily Star (3/4) No reference
            The director's unadulterated thrill in making the movie shines through in every frame.

By Laura Bushell of BBC (3/4) No reference
            Witty, vibrant, and intelligent.

By Boyd van Hoeij of bibloi.com (3/4) No reference
            This Mexican gem is a real treat!

By Kevin Courrier of Boxoffice Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Energetic and boldly provocative.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times (3/4) No reference
            It is clear (Alfonso) Cuaron is a gifted director, and here he does his best work to date.

By Alex Ramirez of Cinenganos (3/4) No reference
            el sexo es sólo un personaje de algo más grande, asociado a la madurez, la identidad sexual, la i...

By Mark Freeman of Critical Eye (3/4) No reference
            A tremendous example of what is possible when you take a simple premise, and imbue it with intell...

By Susan Stark of Detroit News (3/4) No reference
            Stylish, hip, finally sad and above all, sexy.

By Eric Monder of E! Online (3/4) No reference
            ...a witty, poignant, politically astute coming-of-age tale...

By Brent Simon of Entertainment Today (3/4) No reference
            …bristles with the indefatigable energy and possibility of youth… has a nervy, freewheeling dynam...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly (6/1) No reference
            Sad, funny, sexy, and altogether marvelous.

By Jason Anderson of eye WEEKLY (6/1) No reference
            A smart, steamy mix of road movie, coming-of-age story and political satire.

By Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central (3/4) No reference
            A hallmark film in an increasingly important film industry and worth the look.

By Bradley Gibson of Film Threat (3/4) No reference
            The story is set in real world Mexico, not a cleaned-up movie world simulacrum.

By Donald Munro of Fresno Bee (3/4) No reference
            The three feel so natural with each other -- and yet so tentative in all the right ways -- that y...

By James Sanford of Kalamazoo Gazette (6/1) No reference
            As curt and sassy as its title, "Mamá" is a teen drama that speaks the unsavory truth about young...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Manohla Dargis of L.A. Weekly (3/4) No reference
            Easily one of the sexiest and funniest films about class struggle ever made.

By Robert Roten of Laramie Movie Scope (3/4) No reference
            It starts out like one of those brainless teen sex road comedies that make me want to puke, but, ...

By Bob Strauss of Los Angeles Daily News (3/4) No reference
            Its political consciousness is a prime reason why Y Tu Mama Tambien is such a fresh, exhilarating...

By Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies (3/4) No reference
            A sexy, funny, sad, uplifting, and, most importantly, human film.

By Chuck Rudolph of Matinee Magazine (3/4) No reference
            For those willing to listen and learn, Y Tu Mamá Tambièn is a haunting experience.

By Jason Clark of Matinee Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Oft-described as the antidote to American Pie-type sex comedies, it actually has a bundle in comm...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Duane Dudek of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (6/1) No reference
            A bittersweet, profane, funny and exhilarating coming-of-age tale.

By Kevin N. Laforest of Montreal Film Journal (3/4) No reference
            One of these movies where I want to jump in and live in these places with these characters.

By Clint Morris of Moviehole (3/4) No reference
            If you can handle Cuaron's frank approach to life, love and sex, you're in for a great trip.

By Jorge Avila Andrade of Moviola (3/4) No reference
            Y Tu Mamá También es un buen filme gracias a lo poco convencional de su narrativa, y es quizá el ...

By Peter Rainer of New York Magazine (3/4) No reference
            The funniest and most emotionally charged erotic road movie since Bertrand Blier's Going Places.

By Andrew Sarris of New York Observer (3/4) No reference
            The ingenious plot alone is worth the price of admission.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Jonathan Foreman of New York Post (3/4) No reference
            ...just as raucously funny as any recent American equivalent, and far more intelligent and honest...

By Gene Seymour of Newsday (6/1) No reference
            If adolescent sex comedies in this country were made with brains and soul instead of glands and a...

By Nick Davis of Nick's Flick Picks (3/4) No reference
            A fantastically vital movie that manages to invest real humor, sensuality, and sympathy into a st...

By Cynthia Fuchs of Nitrate Online (3/4) No reference
            Its interest in the vagaries and shifting colors of truth make Y Tu Mama Tambien an unusual film.

By Roger Moore of Orlando Sentinel (3/4) No reference
            It's to Cuarón's credit that even at its most raunchy and ribald, Tu Mamá keeps its wits, its hea...

By Steve Schneider of Orlando Weekly (3/4) No reference
            A pulsating group portrait of a country balancing youthful passion with the pull of adult respons...

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By Jeanne Aufmuth of Palo Alto Weekly (3/4) No reference
            Erotic, controversial, and unforgettable.

By Sean Burns of Philadelphia Weekly (3/4) No reference
            Y Tu Mamá También is hilariously, gloriously alive, and quite often hotter than Georgia asphalt.

By Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece of PopMatters (3/4) No reference
            A journey through memory, a celebration of living, and a sobering rumination on fatality, classis...

By Harry Guerin of RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (3/4) No reference
            One movie you really should see before you pack a bag or get behind the wheel.

By Sean Means of Salt Lake Tribune (3/4) No reference
            A fascinating, touching and highly erotic road movie.

By Jean Lowerison of San Diego Metropolitan (3/4) No reference
            Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By David Elliott of San Diego Union-Tribune (3/4) No reference
            ... one of the most compellingly sexy movies ever made ...

By Jim Judy of Screen It! (3/4) No reference
            If adult viewers go in with lowered expectations and don't mind the graphic sexual material, they...

By Moira MacDonald of Seattle Times (3/4) No reference
            A wonderfully vibrant, contemporary coming-of-age road movie.

By Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine (3/4) No reference
            As playful and politically scatterbrained as Truffaut's overrated Jules and Jim, Tambien has the ...

By Todd Anthony of South Florida Sun-Sentinel (3/4) No reference
            Uses sharp humor and insight into human nature to examine class conflict, adolescent yearning, th...

By Paul Arendt of Teletext (3/4) No reference
            'Anyone with a passion for cinema, and indeed sex, should see it as soon as possible.'

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By J. Hoberman of The Village Voice (3/4) No reference
            ...the sort of soulful raunchfest I suspect Pauline Kael would have loved...

By John A. Nesbit of ToxicUniverse.com (6/1) No reference
            ...after a number of films that inspire siestas, it’s a pleasure to watch one that feels fresh an...

By Desson Thomson of Washington Post (3/4) No reference
            The best road trip movie ever made.

By Jeffrey Chen of Window to the Movies (3/4) No reference
            [Cuarón has] created a substantive movie out of several cliched movie structures: the road movie,...

By Mike Pinsky of Daily-Reviews (3/4) Not Reachable
            Think of Y Tu Mamá También as a Porky’s movie for the intelligentsia.

By Rene Rodriguez of Miami Herald (6/1) Not Reachable
            The lowest of lowbrow film genres -- the teen sex comedy -- is elevated to lyrical new heights.

                         Reviews of Y Tu Mama Tambien
By James Berardinelli of ReelViews (3/4) Not Reachable
            ...doesn't deliver anything more dramatic than a road trip garnished with an aggressive portion o...

By Chris Hewitt (St. Paul) of St. Paul Pioneer Press (3/4) Not Reachable
            Cuaron ... sucks you in with the colorful, lively stuff while hinting that the movie is more comp...

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