Coco (2017 film)

Directed by Lee Unkrich and screenplay by Unkrich and Adrian Molina from a story by Unkrich, Molina, Matthew Aldrich, and Jason Katz, Coco is the story of a 12-year old boy whose encounter with mysterious ghostly spirits accidentally transports him to the Land of the Dead where he tries to find his great-great-grandfather to return him to the living world. Inspired by the Mexican holiday in the Day of the Dead, the film is look of a boy wanting to know about his family’s roots as well as those who lived before his time. Featuring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguia, and Edward James Olmos. Coco is a rapturous and touching film from Lee Unkrich.

Set in a small town in Mexico just before the Day of the Dead, the film is about a 12-year old boy who has a love for music and idolizes a famed musician despite his family’s hatred for it as it relates to some family secrets where the boy later encounters the spirit where he finds himself in the Land of the Dead. It’s a film that play into a boy who has a love for music but doesn’t want to upset his family as he’s trying to keep it a secret. The film's screenplay by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina follows the journey that Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on as he lives with a large family who makes shoes at their small town but they have a disdain for music dating back to their ancestors when Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left his wife Imelda (Alanna Ubach) to pursue a music career as Miguel believes his great-great-grandfather is the famed musician Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt).

Wanting to participate in a talent contest, Miguel runs away from his family where he tries to borrow de la Cruz’s guitar from his tomb as he finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he would meet his relatives including his great-great grandmother Imelda who tries to get him to return only if he doesn’t become a musician. The script has Miguel not just learn about family’s importance but also what it means to be great musician where he meets a dead trickster in Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) who claims to know de la Cruz where they make a deal as Hector is eager to go to the land of the living to visit his daughter in the hopes he won’t be forgotten. During their journey together, Miguel would learn some big secrets about his family as well as why Imelda and Coco were abandoned as they reach de la Cruz’s home where he’s having his annual ceremony as more revelations occur about Miguel and his family.

Lee Unkrich’s direction is definitely astonishing in terms of the world he creates of the living as well as the Land of the Dead where it has a lot of attention to detail about the holiday that is the Day of the Dead. With the animation directors Guilherme Sauerbronn Jacinto and Nickolas Rosario, along with animation supervisors Gini Cruz Santos and Michael Venturini, Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina provide a look and tone that play into this air of tradition that is celebrated annually in Mexico. It’s a celebration of loved ones who aren’t around anymore as pictures and murals are presented with the living offering food or something special where the spirits of the dead would take it as they cross over from the Land of the Dead to the world of the living as spirits. When Miguel takes a strum of de la Cruz’s guitar, it would transport him to the Land of the Dead as it’s a world that is about the celebration of life where Unkrich’s compositions in its wide and medium shots capture it with such grand detail.

The direction also create these compositions and matching images as it play into the movies that de la Cruz starred in as well as what Miguel would match as he plays music like the man whom he believes is his great-great grandfather. The animation takes great attention to detail in some of the spiritual creatures that Miguel meets as a street dog named Dante would join him in the journey who seems to know more than he lets on. The meeting between Miguel and de la Cruz is tremendous in its scale but it also play into secrets about Miguel’s family including his great-grandmother Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguia) whose memory is fading away. It adds to the stakes of what Miguel has to do to get home with the help of his deceased relatives who deal with revelations about their misfortunes. Even as they have to accept the power of music that can bring someone back to life and bring a family together. Overall, Unkrich and Molina create a dazzling yet heartfelt film about a boy whose love for music brings him into a journey to the dead in order to help his family.

Cinematographers Matt Aspbury and Danielle Feinberg do amazing work with the look of the lighting and backgrounds of some of the interiors at the places in the Land of the Dead including de la Cruz’s home with its usage of colorful lighting and shades. Editors Lee Unkrich and Steve Bloom do excellent work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts help play into the drama and humor with some flashback montages to establish key moments in the film. Production designer Harley Jessup and art director Tim Evatt do incredible work with the look of the buildings and the bridge of orange petals with help from visual effects supervisor Michael O’Brien in adding some textures including the look of the old movies starring de la Cruz.

Sound designer Christopher Boyes does amazing work with the sound as it help play into the way a guitar string is tuned as well as the sounds of the spirit creatures in the Land of the Dead. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is phenomenal for its mixture of lush orchestral music and traditional-based Mexican mariachi music that play into the drama and sense of adventure as the music soundtrack that is cultivated by music supervisor Tom MacDougall feature an array of original songs composed Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Germaine Franco and Adrian Molina with Michael Giacchino, and some traditional pieces as the music is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by Carla Hool, Natalie Lyon, and Kevin Reher is superb as it feature some notable small roles and voice appearances from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as dental patient crossing over to the land of the living, Natalia Cordova-Buckley as the famed artist Frida Kahlo, Carla Medina as the departure agent, Cheech Marin as a corrections officer, Gabriel Iglesias as a clerk working at the Land of the Dead, Lombardo Boyar in a dual role as a mariachi Miguel meets in his small town and a musician from the Land of the Dead, Luis Valdez in a dual role as Miguel’s uncle Tio Berto and Don Hidalgo, Sofia Espinosa and Jaime Camil as Miguel’s parents, Herbert Siguenza as Miguel’s late identical twin uncles in Tios Oscar and Felipe, Selene Luna as Miguel’s late aunt Tia Rosita, and Alfonso Arau as Miguel’s late great-grandfather/Coco’s husband in Papa Julio.

Edward James Olmos is terrific as Hector’s friend Chicharron who lives in a world of those who are being forgotten where Miguel learns about Hector’s fate if he is to be forgotten. Ana Ofelia Murguia is wonderful in her brief role as Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco as a woman whom Miguel spends a lot of time with as he’s convinced she’s waiting for someone. Renee Victor is fantastic as Miguel’s grandmother who runs the family shoemaking shop as well as be the family’s lead enforcer in ensuring that music isn’t around the family. Alanna Ubach is brilliant as Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mama Imelda who is also Coco’s mother as a woman that is trying to get Miguel home but also carries some family secrets about why she dislikes music where she later is forced to deal with the revelations that tore her family apart.

Benjamin Bratt is amazing as Ernesto de la Cruz as the famed singer who was considered the greatest artist in all of Mexico as he is believed to be Miguel’s great-great-grandfather where he’s a man that loves what he does but is ambiguous about how he became so famous. Gael Garcia Bernal is incredible as Hector as a trickster that is trying to cross to the land of the living to see someone important whom he believes would remember him as he helps Miguel to find de la Cruz as he claims to know him leading to some major revelations for Miguel. Finally, there’s Anthony Gonzalez in a sensational performance as Miguel as 12-year old boy that loves music and wants to play music where he finds himself in the Land of the Dead and hopes to get the blessing of the man he believes is his great-great-grandfather to become a musician so he can return to the land of the living where he would learn the importance of family as well as sacrifice.

Coco is an outstanding film from Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. Featuring a great ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, a heartfelt music soundtrack, and touching themes about the importance of family. It’s unquestionably one of Pixar’s best films but also a film that manages to embody the idea of family and how to celebrate those who are no longer around but remain alive in spirit and through love. In the end, Coco is a magnificent film from Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – The Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - (Soul (2020 film)

© thevoid99 2018

Babel

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga from a story by Inarittu and Arriaga, Babel is a hyperlink story set in three different parts of the world as a couple trying to save their marriage in Morocco while their children are being taken to Mexico by their maid so she can attend her son’s wedding as a third story revolves around a young deaf woman in Japan. An exploration into cultural differences, isolation, and death in what is the third part of Inarritu’s trilogy of death, the film is a multi-layered tale with different strands of narrative as these characters are all connected by circumstances in their environment. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Emilio Echevarria, Clifton Collins Jr., Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, and Rinko Kikuchi. Babel is a tremendously harrowing yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Set in three different places in the part of the world as it relates to the concept of the Tower of Babel where everyone started to speak in different languages where no one could understand each other. The film is about a trio of different stories set in three different places around the world. All of which are connected in a crisscross narrative style as an American couple are in Morocco trying to save their marriage where a major event shakes the couple that involved a couple of young boys are trying to kill jackals where they unknowingly cause something. In Mexico, the American couple’s children are back in San Diego as their maid is eager to go to her son’s wedding only to not find anyone prompting her to take the children to Mexico with her nephew as the trip back would be a treacherous one. The third and final story explored a young deaf woman in Japan who is dealing with the loss of her mother as well as growing awareness of her sexuality.

The film’s screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga definitely takes the concept of the Tower of Babel where it explores the idea of misunderstanding and miscommunication in a post 9/11 world where everyone is almost walking on eggshells. The story about the American couple in Richard and Susan Jones (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, respectively) showcase a couple still dealing with the death of their infant son as they’re on a trip to Morocco with tourists as another story emerges about a couple of young boys in Ahmed (Said Tarchani) and Yussef (Boubker Ait El Chaid) who had just gotten a rifle that their father got for a trade where things went wrong. The story would get dramatic as the collision of this story in Morocco would have involve diplomacy issues where the boys get into trouble. It’s a story that plays into a sense of grief but also in a world where tension between Americans and North Africa is very fragile all because of a simple accident.

The second story set in Mexico that concerns the Jones children and their maid Amelia (Adriana Barazzo) as the script would have the children receive a call from their father just as he is dealing with something that is happening in Morocco as two versions of this conversation are presented but in different moments in the narrative. Amelia’s decision to take Debbie (Elle Fanning) and Mike (Nathan Gamble) to Mexico is a foolish one but it’s much more complicated as it involves her nephew Santiago who would get into trouble on their way back from Mexico. It is in that moment where it plays into the sense of mistrust and misunderstanding as Amelia isn’t a legal resident which adds to the stakes of the drama. The third story in Japan doesn’t seem like it would connect anything with the other two though both stories do appear in the background but it does play into the themes that Arriaga is exploring. It involves Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) as she is troubled by her mother’s passing as well as the lack of attention she gets from her father which has her wanting to explore sexually. Even as two detectives come in asking for her father which plays into the events of the two stories.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is definitely intense in terms of not just the situations that occur but also in the drastic stakes that play into much of the film’s drama. The usage of non-linear and crisscross narrative definitely gives a certain edge to Inarritu’s approach to the filmmaking as he aims for a varied degree of different cinematic styles for each location. Some of which involve hand-held cameras for scenes set in Morocco and Mexico while going for something more straightforward in scenes set in Japan. Yet, Inarritu manages to make each story have a different feel in its varied filmmaking style as he would maintain intimate moments between various characters through some close-ups and medium shots. Even as it plays to some of the realism and dramatic stakes of the film.

The direction also play into the ideas of young people coming-of-age sexually such as Yussef who is curious about a girl who lives in one of his homes as well as Chieko who would reveal her exposed crotch to schoolboys as she isn’t wearing underwear. It plays into a sense of growth for these two people who emerge into adulthood yet face real problems that prove to be just as challenging since they’re still children in some respects. Especially as the dramatic stakes become more intense such as Amelia trying to get Debbie and Mike back to the U.S. through the desert as well as Richard and Susan coping with their own encounter with death as things get intense as well as gripping from a visual sense. Particularly in the third act where all of these different stories do come together to see how all of these people are connected in ways that are unexpected. Overall, Inarritu creates a very somber yet exhilarating film about human disconnection and miscommunication in a world that is often very complicated.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized cinematography with its usage of dark shades to surround some of the images as well as its approach to grainy stock footage as there‘s a mixture of beauty and ugliness in the camera work as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. Editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrone do amazing work with the editing to create some unique transitions to move from one story to another with elements of jump-cuts and other offbeat rhythmic cuts to play into the action and drama. Production designer Brigitte Broch does excellent work with the set pieces from the houses in San Diego and Mexico to the posh apartment that Chieko lives with her father in Tokyo.

Costume designers Gabriela Diaque, Miwako Kobayashi, and Michael Wilkinson do terrific work with the costumes from the red dress that Amelia wears to the wedding as well as the schoolgirl uniform and stylish clothes that Chieko would wear. Sound designer Martin Hernandez does fantastic work with the sound to convey the layers of sounds in the film‘s different locations including a club scene in Tokyo in how sound is heard and not heard plus some textures that really play into the drama of the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting music that is a mixture of chilling ambient pieces with some stark and plaintive folk-based cuts to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a diverse soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican/hip-hop music, J-pop, and Middle Eastern music.

The casting by Gigi Akoka and Francine Maisler is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Pena as a couple of border patrol officers that Amelia would encounter in different scenes, Abdelkader Bara as a man who owned the rifle as he traded it to Abdullah, Mustapha Rachidi as Yussef and Ahmed’s father Abdullah, Peter Wight as a British tourist, Damian Garcia as Amelia’s son Lucio, Cynthia Montano as Lucio’s bride Patricia, Koji Yakusho as Chieko’s father, Yuko Murata as Chieko’s fellow deaf friend, Shigemitsu Ogi as a dentist Chieko tries to seduce, Nobushige Suematsu as a classmate of Chieko, Kazunori Tozawa as a detective who arrives at Chieko’s apartment, and Satoshi Nikaido as the younger detective whom Chieko tries to connect with. Other noteworthy small roles include Emilio Echevarria in a terrific role as an old flame of Amelia as well as Mohammed Akhzam as the Moroccan tour guide Anwar whom Richard would befriend.

Elle Fanning and Nathan Gamble are excellent in their respective roles ad Debbie and Mike as two kids who find themselves in danger as it relates to a decision Amelia made. Gael Garcia Bernal is fantastic as Amelia’s nephew Santiago who would drive Amelia and the kids to Mexico and back only an act of poor judgment would cause some trouble. Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Chaid are superb in their respective roles as Ahmed and Yussef as two boys whose game of target practice would have serious consequences as they try to figure out what to do. Adriana Barazza is brilliant as Amelia as a Mexican maid/nanny for Debbie and Mike who is trying to watch the children as she reluctantly takes them to Mexico so she can attend her son’s wedding as she endures horrific circumstances when she tries to get the children back home.

Rinko Kikuchi is amazing as Chieko as a young deaf woman still grieving over the loss of her mother as she tries to act out sexually and emotionally in the hope to connect with someone. Finally, there’s Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Susan and Richard Jones where Blanchett brings a reserved approach to her performance as a woman grieving over loss and the state of her marriage while Pitt plays a man trying to find ways to save his marriage while dealing with cultural differences due to the situation he is facing.

Babel is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Armed with an incredible cast as well as a intricate and captivating screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film is definitely a very powerful film that showcases the world as a whole and how many in different parts of the world deal with similar situations into isolation, death, and miscommunication. In the end, Babel is a tremendously visceral and thrilling film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

Amores Perros

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Guillermo Ariagga, Amores Perros is a film that involves three different stories that are connected with one another that each involve dogs. The first involves a young man trying to raise money through dog-fighting in order to win over his sister-in-law while a man deals with the repercussions of leaving his family for a model. The third and final story involve a hitman trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter as it’s set entirely in Mexico City in a world that is driven by chaos and death where people deal with the decisions they make in their life in the first of a three-part thematic trilogy relating to death. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Vanessa Bauche, Alvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, and Emilio Echevarria. Amores Perros is a gripping yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

The film explores the lives of various people in Mexico City in its exploration of devotion, loyalty, and death. All of which is told in an anthology-film narrative style but with elements that connects one different story to another. The first involves a young man named Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) who has a crush on his sister-in-law Susana (Vanessa Bauche), who is embroiled in a terrible marriage to Octavio’s brother Ramiro (Marco Perez), where he tries to make money through illegal dog fights with the help of Ramiro’s Doberman Cofi. The second story involves a model named Valeria (Goya Toledo) who is having an affair with a married man in Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) who leaves his family to be with Valeria only for the relationship to fall apart in an act of desperation from Valeria’s part. The third and final story involves a hitman named El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria) is trying to reach his estranged daughter as he finds himself in a job that becomes very troubling.

All of these stories are connected in many ways where they’re all connected by dogs and this car accident that would affect everything. Guillermo Arriaga’s screenplay does start off conventionally with Octavio and Susan’s story while there would be little glimpses of the activities of El Chivo as well as Octavio and Jorge watching Valeria on TV. Even as it plays to these intricacies in the script where some of these characters from one story could be in the background while the focus is more in the foreground. Arriaga also goes for a unique approach to narrative where it plays into the effects of these events as each character would encounter moments of death as well as what is important in life. Octavio is motivated by money in order to get Susana out of a terrible marriage yet there are complications when it comes to winning Susana and dealing with the reckless ideas of his brother Ramiro.

The Daniel-Valeria story is one about vanity as Arriaga explores the decisions one makes where Daniel has fallen for this model but her desire to be Mexico’s top model would have serious repercussions as Valeria is affected badly by the accident. Adding to the drama is Valeria’s dog Richie who disappears under a hole on the floor as Daniel’s attempts to save the dog as it plays into the decisions that Daniel has made. The third and final story about El Chivo is most poignant as it plays to his love for dogs and how he’s connected to them while dealing with the family he lost as he tries to meet his estranged daughter. Yet, a mission to kill a businessman would have some moral implications forcing him to make a decision that would be very effective. It plays to not just some of social classes that surround these people but also in their motivations and how it can make them lose sight of what is important.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is truly gripping from the way he makes Mexico City a character in the film to the array of shooting styles he infuses into his compositions. Much of it involves these approach to close-ups and medium shots to play into the action and drama where some of the sequences such as the dog fights have this sense of frenetic energy. Even as Inarritu presents a sense of danger in the violence to showcase how graphic and real these dog fights feel. There’s also some intimate moments where Inarritu makes the drama feel real such as the situation involving Daniel and Valeria where they to save Valeria’s dog. Since this is a multi-layered film with various stories that are connected with one another, Inarritu does create sequences such as the car crash to showcase exactly what is going on and how it would connect all of the stories together.

The sequence would be shown from multiple perspective where there’s major characters in the foreground or another is in the background or vice versa depending on the point of view of the character that is involved. It would play into a major impact in driving the story as Inarritu creates these set-ups to showcase its aftermath. Much of it is very grim and quite punishing into the decisions these people would make. It adds to not just the frenetic tone of the film but also one that is very dramatic in terms of what these characters have to go through as well as the choices they have to live with. Overall, Inarritu crafts a very dark yet intoxicating film about life decisions and the desire to seek a good life in the crazed world that is Mexico City.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does phenomenal work with the film‘s grimy yet stylish cinematography with its use of grainy film stock to play into the sense of realism of the locations as he displays different looks for each segment to play into the contrasting worlds the characters live in. Editors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Luis Carballar, and Fernando Perez Unda do brilliant work with the editing to play into the frenetic energy of the film with jump-cuts and some stylish fast cuts along with some stylish cutting to play into the car crash sequence. Production designer Brigitte Boch, with set decorator Julieta Alvarez and art director Melo Hinojosa, does amazing work with the set pieces from the grimy and cramped home of Octavio and his family to the more posh apartment home of Valeria and Daniel.

Costume designer Gabriela Diaque does nice work with the costumes from the youthful look of Octavio, the posh clothes of Valeria and Daniel, and the ragged look of El Chivo. Sound designer Martin Hernandez and co-sound editor Roland N. Thai do excellent work with the sound work to convey the atmosphere of each location and how it plays into the drama of the differing segments in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting score filled with folk-based acoustic guitars and traditional Mexican-style music with contributions from Daniel Hidalgo while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican music as well as hip-hop and rock to play into the different worlds of the characters.

The casting by Manuel Teil is fantastic as it features some notable small roles from Laura Almela as Daniel’s estranged wife, Gerardo Campbell as the dog fight organizer Mauricio, Humberto Busto as Octavio’s friend Jorge, Ricardo Dalmacci as Valeria’s fake-boyfriend Andres Salgado, Jose Sefami as a corrupt cop who assigns El Chivo different assignments, Rodrigo Murray as a man who hires El Chivo to kill someone, Jorge Salinas as the man El Chivo has to kill, and Lourdes Echevarria as El Chivo’s estranged daughter Maru. Other noteworthy small roles include Marco Perez in a terrific role as Ramiro whose recklessness and abusive treatment of Susana angers Octavio while Gustavo Sanchez Parra is superb as the very menacing Jaroch whom Octavio contends with in the dog fights unaware of how crazy he is.

Vanessa Bauche is excellent as Susana as a young woman who is dealing with the harsh treatment from her husband as well as Octavio’s affections as she becomes conflicted and confused over what to do. Goya Toledo is fantastic as the model Valeria whose charmed life is destroyed by an accident as the obsession to save her dog showcases her vanity. Alvaro Guerrero is amazing as Daniel as Valeria’s lover who deals with the decision he makes as he tries to help her save her dog which prompts him questioning the decisions he made. Emilio Echevarria is brilliant as El Chivo as a troubled hitman who lives a very poor life as he survives to kill as he longs to reunite with his estranged daughter while dealing with a chilling assignment. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal in a remarkable performance as Octavio as a young man trying to help his sister-in-law while embarking into a money-making plan that would later get him in trouble as he deals with what it would cost him.

Amores Perros is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Featuring an amazing cast, a gripping script from Guillermo Arriaga, and chilling themes on social classes, love, loyalty, and death. It’s a film that truly exemplify some of the dark aspects of humanity as well as the world where some try to do right with the noblest intentions only to succumb to reality. In the end, Amores Perros is a sensational film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01 September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

The Motorcycle Diaries

Based on the travelogue by Che Guevara and the book Traveling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary by Alberto Granado, The Motorcycle Diaries is the story of Che Guevara’s 1952 expedition all across South America with his friend Alberto Granado as they would encounter many things that would shape Guevara’s outlook into the world. Directed by Walter Salles and screenplay by Jose Rivera, the film is an exploration about the journey of two men from Argentina to Venezuela through the entire South American continent as Gael Garcia Bernal plays Guevara and Rodrigo de la Serna as Alberto Granado. Also starring Mercedes Moran, Mia Maestro, and Jean Pierre Noher. The Motorcycle Diaries is an enriching and mesmerizing film from Walter Salles.

The film explores the trip that Guevara and Granado would take in early 1952 from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Venezuela on a motorcycle called the Mighty One where the two men would endure many things that would plant the seeds for Guevara’s desire to change the world. Yet, the film showcases a sense of innocence that emerges early on when Guevara was known as Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. A man who was just a 23-year old middle-class medical student who goes on a journey with Granado who was a chemist at the time as the two travel all over South America through Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and the Amazon where they would encounter a world that is filled with inequality and turmoil. Especially as Guevara would question everything that he had encounter as well as the need to make a difference for a world that is quite trouble.

Jose Rivera’s screenplay definitely takes its time to develop Guevara’s sensibility about the ways of the world as he goes from this middle-class med student with a girlfriend who wants him to travel to America. Yet, some of the things he sees such as a mining couple who lost their jobs due to their affiliation with the Communist party as well as death and all sorts of things. While the Granado character is portrayed as a man of humor who has a lust for life, he is also a man that can bullshit his way through anything and get things done as he would be the person that Guevara would need to travel through South America. Their encounters with some of these atrocities in South America which would culminate with them working at the Amazon at a leper colony. Rivera’s script doesn’t go for any kind of structure but rather something loose that pays true to what Guevara and Granado would encounter without the need to overemphasize many of the politic and social context of the story. Especially as the film features a lot of voice-over narration from Guevara’s perspective to play into his own development.

Walter Salles’ direction is entrancing not just for the way he captures the sense of unpredictability of the road film but also one that would be an experience that would change two men. Though half of the film is spent with the two men on a motorcycle that barely works, it has this liveliness where Salles shoots on location in different colonies based on the books along with some moments that play into the development of these two men. Some of which is presented in handheld camera shots or with a simple more controlling camera work where Salles plays into this unique world that is full of life but also one in turmoil considering that it is filled with indigenous people who are disconnected from the rest of the world. Salles would use some voiceover narration to express Guevara’s reflections on the world such as a key scene at Machu Picchu that played his own struggle with the ways of the world. Even as Salles would find some hope in this leper colony in the way Guevara would defy something that he thinks couldn’t be done to reveal that anything is possible. Overall, Salles crafts a very engaging yet intoxicating film about the road trip that would shape the life of a young Che Guevara.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does great work with the film‘s very beautiful cinematography from some of the naturalistic look of the film‘s many exterior settings to some low-key lights for some of its interiors. Editor Daniel Rezende does excellent work in the editing in creating a few montages as well as jump-cuts and other stylistic flourishes to play into the looseness of the story. Production designer Carlos Conti, with art directors Graciela Oderigo, Laurent Ott, and Maria Eugenio Suerio, does nice work with the few set pieces such as the houses Guevara and Granado go to as well as the shelter of the leper colony.

Costume designers Beatriz De Benedetto and Marisa Urruti do terrific work with the period costumes with the dresses the women wear to the more rugged look of the men. Sound designer Frank Gaeta does fantastic work with the sound to capture some of the aspects of the locations along with some of the moments in the cities to capture some of the small parties and the sound of the motorcycle. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is phenomenal for its mixture of folk music with some electric guitar that is low-key yet very entrancing to play into the sense of the journey while music supervisor Adrian Nicolas Sosa creates a wonderful soundtrack filled with the music of the times from those countries plus some traditional pieces and a song by Jorge Drexler for the film’s final credits.

The casting by Walter Rippell is superb as it features some notable small performances from Jorge Chiarella as a Peruvian contact they stay at, Mercedes’ Moran as Guevara’s mother, Jean Pierre Noher as Guevara’s father, Antonella Costa as an ailing woman suffering from leprosy, and Mia Maestro as Guevara’s girlfriend Chichina. Rodrigo de la Serna is marvelous as Alberto Granado as this guy who can bullshit his way through anything while looking for a good time but also be someone who can be very helpful. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal in an incredible performance as the young Che Guevara as a young doctor with a lot of ideals as he comes of age into seeing what is happening in South America as Bernal brings a sensitivity and earnestness to the role in display Guevara as a young man who later create a revolution.

The Motorcycle Diaries is an outstanding film from Walter Salles that features great performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna. The film is a truly beautiful yet captivating story about the journey that would shape the life of a young Che Guevara before he becomes a revolutionary. In the end, The Motorcycle Diaries is a magnificent film from Walter Salles.

Walter Salles Films: (A Grande Arte) - (Foreign Land) - (Central Station) - (Midnight (1998 film)) - (Behind the Sun) - (Dark Water (2005 film)) - (Linha de Passe) - (On the Road (2012 film))

Related: Che

© thevoid99 2014

Rudo y Cursi

Written and directed by Carlos Cuaron, Rudo y Cursi (Rude and Tacky) is the story of two brothers from a rural Mexican village who are discovered by a futbol scout as they each endure major success in the Mexican futbol league only to fall through different means. The film is an exploration into the world of the Mexican futbol culture as well as the relationship between two brothers as the film marks a reunion with Cuaron who co-wrote Y Tu Mama Tambien with his brother Alfonso and its stars in Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna as the two brothers. Also starring Guillermo Francella, Dolores Heredia, Adriana Paz, Jessica Mas, and Salvador Zerboni. Rudo y Cursi is an extraordinarily funny film from Carlos Cuaron.

The film is about the fortunes of two half-brothers who are discovered by a scout as they each become stars in the Mexican futbol league where the brothers not only deal with success but also a very corrupt world in the futbol league. It’s also a film that explores the relationship between these two brothers who both want different goals for themselves as Beto (Diego Luna) is a talented goalie who wants to succeed so he can help his wife Tona (Adriana Paz) and their two kids as well as the rest of his very dysfunctional family. His younger half-brother Tato (Gael Garcia Bernal) is also talented in futbol yet he has aspirations to make it as a singer. While the film is about these two brothers as they would respectively be called Rudo y Cursi, it’s mostly told from the perspective of the talent scout Batuta (Guillermo Francella) who narrates the film as he would talk about the way things work while his character is this mixture of angel and devil as he gives them what they want but also tries to profit from their misfortunes.

Carlos Cuaron’s screenplay definitely plays into the classic rise-and-fall scenario as well as exploring the corrupt world of Mexican futbol and the relationship between two brothers. The latter of which is inspired by Carlos’ own love-hate relationship with his older brother Alfonso who is one of the film’s producers. While both Beto and Tato want to succeed in futbol, they each have aspirations that showcases their differences. Beto wants to be known as the best goalie in Mexico as he is called Rudo for his rough approach to goalkeeping as he also has a family to support. Tato wants to use his talents in futbol so he can become a singer as he would get all of the perks of being a star despite gaining the name Cursi for his corny post-goal dance. Cuaron would inject a lot of crass dialogue that carries much of the film’s humor while also balancing with some drama once Beto and Tato deal with their misfortunes as well as face each other in the film’s climatic game where there’s a lot more at stake.

Cuaron’s direction is quite simple as he goes for something that is more engaging with his approach to hand-held cameras as well as some steadicam shots and some unique compositions. Much of it is shot on location in Mexico City and at the Cihuatlan Valley in Jalisco as the latter serves as the rural home where Beto and Tato lived in as the banana plantation is actually owned by the Cuaron family. Cuaron would use a lot of wide shots to capture the different landscapes where the rural home that the brothers lived seemed much simpler and quaint while Mexico City is a world where it’s big but also overwhelming considering the how chaotic it can be. Through some close-ups and medium shots, Cuaron also captures the atmosphere of what it’s like at a futbol game where he shoots these scenes from the perspective of the fans as well as what goes on at the field. Especially in the film’s climatic game where a lot is at stake while fans for both teams insult each other. Overall, Cuaron crafts a very entertaining and insightful film about two brothers who go to the city to chase their dreams only to face the dark realities of the Mexican futbol league.

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel does amazing work with the film‘s very rich and colorful cinematography from the grimy yet naturalistic look of the scenes of rural Mexico with the evocative images of the banana plantation as well as the vibrant look of Mexico City. Editor Alex Rodriguez does fantastic work in utilizing some stylish jump-cuts and other offbeat rhythms to play into the film‘s humorous tone. Production designer Eugenio Caballero does nice work with the set design from the look of the village where Beto and Tato lived with their family to the posh world of Mexico City. Costume designers Annai Ramos and Anna Terrazas do terrific work with the costumes from the more ragged look of the brothers in their rural environment to the more posh clothes they would wear in more upscale parties.

Visual effects supervisor Richard Briscoe does some good work with some of the minimal visual effects for a key moment in the film‘s ending as well as a few of the action in the futbol games. Sound designers Martin Hernandez and Alejandro Quevedo do brilliant work with the sound to capture the intimacy that goes on in the smaller moments at their homes as well as the raucous atmosphere of the futbol stadiums. The film’s music by Lenocio Lara and Felipe Perez Santiago is excellent for being very upbeat with its use of accordions and traditional Mexican instruments to play into its humor while music supervisor Annette Fradera brings in a soundtrack that includes lots of ranchero and other forms of Mexican music plus two different covers of Cheap Trick‘s I Want You to Want Me performed by Gael Garcia Bernal in a ranchero style and a more rock style by Los Odio! featuring Juan Son.

The casting by Kimberly Mullen, Mark Mullen, and Manuel Teil is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Alfredo Alonso as a renowned drug lord in Don Casimiro who would marry Beto and Tato’s sister, Salvador Zerboni as Tato’s coach, Tania Esmerelda Aguilar as Beto and Tato’s sister Nadia, and Joaquin Cosio as Beto and Tato’s stepfather Arnulfo who often abuses their mother. Adriana Paz is terrific as Beto’s wife Tona who tries to get Beto to see reason while preferring to have the simpler life rather than the more tumultuous one her husband is in. Jessica Mas is very good as the model Maya Vega whose beauty entrances Tato as she is a woman that just wants to be with Tato because he’s the new hot star. Dolores Heredia is superb as Beto and Tato’s mother who hopes for the best for her two sons as she is a source of inspiration for the boys to succeed.

Guillermo Francella is brilliant as the talent scout Batuta as he’s a man that is very wise and can often bullshit his way into any kind of negotiation as Francella brings a lot of charm to the role while always having a fine woman at his side just to show how cool he is. Finally, there’s the duo of Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal in their respective roles as Beto and Tato as they both give marvelous performances. Luna brings an aggressiveness that allows his character to earn his nickname as he is someone who is wracked with conflict in wanting to do great but becomes homesick as he would gain a gambling problem. Bernal brings a swagger and humor to his role as a wannabe singer who has no clue about the fickleness of the music business. Bernal and Luna have great rapport together as they showcase the love-hate relationship between brothers through good and bad times.

Rudo y Cursi is a phenomenal film from Carlos Cuaron that features fantastic performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. It’s a film that is thoroughly entertaining in the way it explores the world of Mexican futbol as well as the tumultuous relationship between brothers. In the end, Rudo y Cursi is a sensational film from Carlos Cuaron.

© thevoid99 2014

No (2012 film)

Based on the unpublished play El Plebiscito by Antonio Skarmeta, No is the story about an advertising man in late 1980s Chile who is asked to create a campaign to vote against Augusto Pinochet in the 1988 national plebiscite. Directed by Pablo Larrain and screenplay by Pedro Peirano, the film is a look into a man who would help end Pinochet’s dictatorship as it’s the third film of Larrain’s trilogy about Pinochet. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Nestor Cantillana. No is a captivating film from Pablo Larrain.

The film is a simple story about the NO campaign in the 1988 national plebiscite where the people of Chile had to vote whether to keep Augusto Pinochet for eight more years as this vote is being seen all over the world as Pinochet would be forced to see what the people will vote for. Leading this NO campaign is a young advertising executive who is asked by a Socialist friend of his to create ideas for the campaign while his boss would eventually take charge of the YES campaign. It’s a film that explores one young man’s attempt to create something that is for the sake of his country as well as the future of his young son in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to see his son endure the pain and terror of Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Pedro Peirano’s screenplay plays into the life of Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) who starts out as a man who creates commercials for an advertising company as it’s a life he’s content with despite the fact that he and his wife Veronica (Antonia Zegers) are separated. When being approached by his Socialist friend Jose Tomas Urrutia (Luis Gnecco) to take part in the NO campaign, Rene says no at first as he didn’t want to interfere with his job or jeopardize his friendship with his boss Lucho (Alfredo Castro). Yet, he couldn’t turn down the idea of overthrowing Pinochet and bring a bright future to Chile for his son. Much of the script explores the ideas for a campaign where Saavedra realizes that if they have to get votes from young and old voters, they would have to do something different and radical.

While the script plays into a lot of the history of Pinochet’s reign, it also takes it time to explore what Saavedra and the people he’s working are struggling with as they knew that showing images of what Pinochet has done wouldn’t work. By going for something that was hopeful, it would create some tension not just among some of the people in the NO campaign but also cause trouble with the people running the YES campaign as they’re unsure of what to do to counter the NO campaign. Lucho tries to offer Saavedra a very prestigious offer after the election only to be turned down as Lucho does whatever to keep the YES campaign going only to realize that everything he’s doing for his bosses aren’t working.

Pablo Larrain’s direction is very mesmerizing not just for the intimacy he created but in the visual look of the film that is really striking. Shot in a full-frame aspect ratio and on video-like film format known as U-matic to play into that period, it’s a film that is about a moment in time where Chile was at a critical point in time where they’re not sure if Pinochet would still rule as the whole world is watching. The look and its intimacy has this nostalgic feel while the video footage of the campaigns definitely look like what Latin American television looked like at that time. Much of the NO campaign commercials do have a sense of cheesiness yet it does have a point in not just the future of Chile but also what might happen. Some of it is very funny and light-hearted while some of it is also sobering as opposed to the more propaganda-based approach of the YES campaign.

There’s also some moments of suspense in the direction in the way it portrays some of the chaos that goes on in Chile as it’s shot on location in the country and the city of Santiago. Even as Larrain was able to recreate some of the protests and marches that went on during the 27-day campaign period as well as incorporate archival footage of these events that include testimonials from Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, and the late Christopher Reeve. While its outcome would be known, it’s more about what Saavedra would feel about in his role as well as the impact it have. The film’s final credits would reveal footage of the people who were part of this campaign as they meet the actors who would play them. Overall, Larrain crafts a very stylish yet riveting film about the NO campaign that would end Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile.

Cinematographer Sergio Armstrong does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its grainy yet rich look in its video-like form as it plays to something that has an air of nostalgia but also some style that features additional work from visual effects supervisor/colorist Ismael Cabrera to play with the look of the film as well as the TV footage. Editor Andrea Chignoli does excellent work with the editing from the stylized approach of the adds as well as montages for some of the historical footage and jump-cuts for some of the film‘s drama. Art director Estefania Larrain and set decorator Maria Eugenia Hederra do fantastic work with the set pieces from the offices that Saavedra works at as well as his house and the studio where he looks into the filming of the ads.

Costume designer Francisca Roman does nice work with the costumes as it plays to the look of the late 80s for most of the characters while many of the government officials wear suits and uniforms. Sound designer Miguel Hormazabal does superb work with the sound from the way TV sounded back then to the sounds of crowds gathering for marches and such. The film’s music by Carlos Cabezas is terrific as it doesn’t appear much in the film as it’s mostly an orchestral-based score that is very low-key as it plays to some of the drama that occurs.

The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Jaime Vadell as a government minister, Marcial Tagle as Saavedra’s friend Alberto who aids him in the campaign, Elsa Poblete as Saavedra’s maid Carmen, and Pascal Montero as Saavedra’s young son Simon who watches everything that happens. Nestor Cantillana is excellent as the video director Fernando who often spars with Saavedra on a creative and political level as they reluctantly work together while Antonia Zegers is fantastic as Saavedra’s estranged wife Veronica whose work in protests and such has her returning to the life of her son as she contemplates about returning to Saavedra for a less complicated life. Luis Gnecco is brilliant as Saavedra’s Socialist friend Urrutia who brings him to the NO campaign while hoping that the campaign will do some good.

Alfredo Castro is amazing as Saavedra’s conservative boss Lucho who runs the YES campaign as he deals with Saavedra’s newfound affiliation while still being a friend as he also deals with the limited resources he had to use for the YES campaign. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal in a remarkable performance as Rene Saavedra as a young advertising executive who runs the NO campaign as he deals with the possibilities of the campaign as well as its unorthodox approach as it’s a performance that has Bernal be somewhat restrained but also show a determination as a man who would play a small part in changing Chile’s political identity.

No is an incredible film from Pablo Larrain that features a marvelous performance from Gael Garcia Bernal. The film doesn’t just offer something for history buffs about the end of Augusto Pinochet’s reign but it’s also a unique portrait of a period in time where thing was about to change told with such style. In the end, No is a phenomenal film from Pablo Larrain.

Pablo Larrain Films: (Fuga) - (Tony Manero) - (Post Mortem) - (The Club (2015 film)) - (Neruda) - Jackie (2016 film)

© thevoid99 2014

The Science of Sleep

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/30/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Michel Gondry, The Science of Sleep tells the story of a young Mexican who moves to France after the death of his father to live with his French mother. Taking a mundane job, he escapes into his often fanatical, dream world filled with his own ideas. Once he meets a new neighbor, he falls in love as his own world of reality and fiction collide. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emma de Caunes, Alain Chabat, and Miou-Miou. The Science of Sleep is a marvel of a film that is true to the visual style of Michel Gondry.

The film explores the world of reality and imagination as a young Mexican man named Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) moves to France following his father's death to live with his French mother (Miou-Miou) who got him a job cutting and pasting borders for calenders. It's a job that he doesn't like as he retreats to his dreams where he hosts a TV shows that mixes dreams and such. When he meets an artist named Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her friend Zoe (Emma de Caunes), he falls for Stephanie as the two are attracted by their own creative pursuits as the world of reality and fiction starts to collide as it would play into Stephane's refusal to accept reality.

Reality and fiction is a great conflict that many people can relate to. For Michel Gondry, it's the perfect theme for his visual style of filmmaking. The film is really about a young man who wants to get the girl of his dreams while dealing with his own reality which starts to collide with his fantasy. The character of Stephane is like a child since he has troubles dealing with his emotions as he reacts to things like a child, especially with Stephanie. Still, Gondry creates a fantastic story that is a bit more angst-driven than Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind while both films have the same amount of heart in creating a whimsical love story.

Gondry's directing definitely mixes the world of reality and fiction where for some audiences, it can be very confusing. Still, Gondry's visual presentation that includes things like cardboard cars, stop-motion animation, big hands, moveable special effects is very childlike in its imagination. In many ways, it's Gondry's most innocent film since it's about a man who is still a child that has trouble growing up to a woman who shares his imagination yet is grounded in the real world. While the film isn't as strong or as evocative as Eternal, this film does prove that Michel Gondry is indeed a brilliant director with wonderful, imaginative ideas.

Helping Gondry in his vision is cinematographer Jean-Louis Bompoint who brings a wonderful shade to the film's exterior and interior settings while using a lot of colors for some of the film's cosmic paint sequences that explores the emotions of Stephane. Production designers Ann Chakravety, Pierre Pell, and Stephane Rosenbaum are the real stars of the film's technical achievements. With their interior locations in Gondry's old apartment, the design of Stephane TV's studio filled with cardboard, cotton, and all sorts of arty material is very magical. With the help of some special effects team that included Lauri Faggioni who created the horse and sculptor Bruno Guillemet, the film is a masterpiece in production design as everything from big hands, cardboard cars, and moving towns is filled with life and wonder.

Sound designers Dominique Gaborieau, Guillaume Le Bras, and Guillaume Sciama do great work in playing the sound to some of the film's gadgets and such. Editor Juliette Welfling also plays to the film's eccentric feel with some nice jump-cut and backwards editing to convey the madness of Stephane's mind. Costume designer Florence Fontaine also does great work in the costumes to the animal clothing Stephane, Serge, and Guy wore to play a song for Stephanie to some of Stephanie's clothing as it brings a lot of innocence. Composer Jean-Michel Bernard brings a largely acoustic, keyboard-driven score to the film while composing his own original ballad that conveys the emotions of Stephane while he makes a cameo as a piano-playing policeman.

The film contains a wonderful cast mostly filled with French actors as they all spoke French with a bit of English and broken Spanish. Small performances from Yvette Petit as Christine's friend and Alain de Moyencourt as her magician boyfriend Gerard are wonderful while Miou-Miou is great as Stephane's concerned mother Christine who has a great scene in one of the film's fantasy sequences. Pierre Vaneck is good as the snotty boss Mr. Pouchet who is very funny in another of Stephane's dream while Aurelia Petit and Sacha Bourdo are great as Stephane's co-workers who end up becoming part of the fantasy with their own stuffy attitudes. Emma de Caunes is excellent as Stephanie's flirtatious friend Zoe who tries to get Stephanie to be super-cool while being nice to Stephane. The best supporting performance goes to Alain Chabat as the perverse yet experienced Guy who tries to give Stephane advice about women while stealing the showing a punk-rock leather jacket in a scene where he is getting a lot of women.

Charlotte Gainsbourg gives one of her best and more charming performances as fellow dreamer and artist Stephanie who shares in Stephane's quirky and eccentric dreams yet is grounded into the real world. Gainsbourg has a beauty reminiscent of her famed mother Jane Birkin while combining some of the grittiness that she displayed in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarratu's 21 Grams. This is another great performance from the multi-talented Gainsbourg. Gael Garcia Bernal continues to display his talents as one of the best actors of his generation. Bringing a childlike innocence to the character, it's truly his most energetic and whimsical performance to date as Bernal brings a lot of humor and drama to the character. Bernal has great chemistry with Gainsbourg while his performance is also filled with sadness in the fact that he's trying to find answers from his late father where Bernal brings real depth to a young man who doesn't know how to grow up. It's probably the best performance he's ever given.

The Science of Sleep is a sprawling yet whimsical film from Michel Gondry. Thanks to the performances of Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg, the film has something to offer for those who love the conflict of reality and fiction as well as a strange love story. Conventional film audiences might not get the film but art house audiences and fans of Gondry will indeed enjoy this film. In the end, for a film that has a lot of heart and imagination, The Science of Sleep is the film to see.

Michel Gondry Films: Human Nature - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Dave Chappelle's Block Party - Be Kind Rewind - Tokyo!: Interior Design - (The Thorn in the Heart) - The Green Hornet - The We & the I - (Mood Indigo) - (Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?)

© thevoid99 2013

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and written by Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron, Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) is the story of two teenage boys who go on a road trip through Mexico with a Spanish woman in her late 20s. There, the young boys deal with the rules they have created as they fall for this woman as they all try to reach a secret beach. The film is a coming-of-age film of sorts set in 1999 Mexico where the political landscape was changing. With narration by Daniel Gimenez Cacho, the film stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Andreas Almeida, Ana Lopez Mercado, Maria Aura, and Maribel Verdu. Y Tu Mama Tambien is a dreamy yet powerful road drama from Alfonso Cuaron.

With their girlfriends Ana (Ana Lopez Mercado) and Cecilia (Maria Aura) leaving for a trip to Europe, their respective boyfriends in Tenoch Iturbide (Diego Luna) and Julio Zapata (Gael Garcia Bernal) figure out what to do for the summer. Hanging out with their friend Saba (Andreas Almeida), the two have no idea what to do as they become bored until Tenoch’s sister is getting married as his father is a high-ranking government official. With the middle-class Julio also attending, the two meet up with a beautiful woman from Spain named Luisa (Maribel Verdu) whose novelist/professor husband Jano (Juan Carlos Remolina) is Tenoch’s cousin. After chatting with Luisa about a mysterious beach called la Boca del Cielo (Heaven’s Mouth), the two decide if they want to go to that beach.

After learning that Jano had been cheating on her, Luisa decides to go to the beach with Tenoch and Julio as they borrow Julio’s sister station wagon for this long road trip. There, Luisa learns about the boys’ manifesto that is filled with lots of rules as they drive through rural parts of Mexico as Luisa is still hurt over Jano’s confession. After the car’s radiator gets overheated as they stop in a town, the depressed Luisa would have sex with Tenoch to Julio’s confusion where makes a startling confession. Things start to get tense between the two friends as Luisa would also have sex with Julio where Tenoch would also make a confession driving a wedge between the two friends.

After Luisa eases the tension and taking over, the three finally land on a beach where they meet a fisherman named Chuy (Silverio Palacios) and his family who takes them to la Boca del Cielo where they hang out with his family and have a great time. There, the three would ultimately have the time of their lives while the two boys would face an uncertain future in the trip‘s aftermath.

The film is essentially a road drama where two teenage boys and an older woman travel through Mexico to go to a mysterious beach as they would deal with personal issues about themselves while the friendship of the boys is also tested by temptation and startling confessions. Throughout this coming-of-age journey through rural Mexico, there’s a lot that is happening around them told through a narrator who reveals bits about the lives of the characters as well as the surroundings where things are changing.

The screenplay that Alfonso and Carlos Cauron creates is a story that bends genres where it’s a coming-of-age film of sorts with elements of the road movie as well as a melodrama of sorts that concerns the character of Lucia who is dealing with a lot of things including her husband’s infidelity. It’s also a film about sex where Tenoch and Julio each have girlfriends but neither of them are very experienced as indicated by their many rules including their own sexual moments with Lucia. During this journey, the friendship between Tenoch and Julio starts to disintegrate because they each broke the rules that they and their other friends made. By the time they arrive at the beach and things seem to calm down between the three, there is an uncertainty over what will happen.

The screenplay also succeeds in not just creating characters that are very interesting as well as flawed but also manage to find a way to utilize the narration to be part of the story. Notably as it unveils some details into the lives of its characters while providing insight to the places the main characters encounter. Some of it involves a lot of the political changes that is surrounding Mexico as the film is set in 1999 as its penultimate scene reveals the end of the PRI party reign. Throughout the narration and the dialogue of the character, there is also an element where the Cuaron brothers take shots at the chauvinistic attitude towards homosexuality. Notably as Tenoch and Julio reveal that one of their friends is gay and they have a hard time dealing with it because homosexuality was sort of frowned upon in Mexico at that time. It’s a very complex and drawn-out script that does a lot while not straying into conventional ideas of drama.

Cuaron’s direction is truly entrancing in the way he presents the film through its wandering images and uncompromising ideas towards sex. Notably as the film opens with Tenoch and his girlfriend having sex as they make a vow to not stray into their relationship. Cuaron doesn’t shy away from the fact that the sex will be open and exposed though it doesn’t stray too far into explicit content. Plus, it’s presented with humor as there’s a scene of Tenoch and Julio masturbating on diving boards where a shot of semen is dropped onto the pool. It’s among the many uncompromising ideas Cuaron wants to display in his approach to sex as well as making it feel real.

Since the film is shot on location in various place of Mexico, there is a cinema verite style to the shoot as it includes a lot of hand-held camera work to get into some crowd scenes or smaller moments in the rural parts of Mexico to focus on something that is actually happening. Notably as the camera is always there to exemplify the beauty that is Mexico from its poorest areas to the rich parties such as Tenoch’s sister’s wedding where the Mexican president is present. Overall, Cuaron creates a truly delightful and hypnotic road film that bends various genres and gives a very uncompromising approach towards sex.

Cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki does amazing work with the film‘s rich cinematography that is filled with amazing natural lights for many of the film‘s daytime exterior shots and locations including the beach along with some gorgeous lighting schemes for some of its nighttime interior shots. Editor Alex Rodriguez, with Cuaron, does excellent work with the editing to play up some the rhythm of some of the film‘s sex scenes as well as hilarious comic montages involving Tenoch and Julio that doesn‘t delve into fast-cuts by emphasizing on a more methodical approach to the pacing. Production designers Marc Bedia and Miguel Angel Alvarez, with set decorator Roberto Loera and co-art director Diana Quiroz, do superb work with the set pieces such as the posh home of Tenoch‘s family to the middle-class home of Julio‘s family with some of the set pieces like a local ceremony Tenoch, Julio, and Luisa encounter.

Costume designer Gabriela Diaque does wonderful work with the costumes from the casual clothing of its characters to the gorgeous white dress that Luisa wears at the wedding party. Sound designer Ruy Garcia does fantastic work with the sound from the atmosphere of the parties to the intimate sounds of the beach locations the characters are at. Music supervisors Annette Fradera and Liza Richardson do brilliant work in creating a music soundtrack that mixes to various genres. From low-key ambient pieces from Brian Eno, Bran Van 3000, Miho Hatori, and Natalie Imbruglia to wild alternative Mexico music from Café Tacuba and Molotov with Dub Pistols. Along with music by Eagle Eye Cherry covering the Bee Gees and Senor Coconut covering Kraftwerk, there’s also ranchero music and a wonderful ballad by Marco Antonio Solis in one of the film’s key moments. Playing in the closing credits is the soaring Watermelon in Easter Hay by Frank Zappa.

The casting by Manuel Teil is incredible for the cast that is assembled as it features appearances from Emilio Echevarria as Tenoch’s dad, Diana Bracho as Tenoch’s mother, Juan Carlos Remolina as Luisa’s husband Jano, and Silverio Palacios as the Campos-loving fisherman Chuy. Other notable roles include Ana Lopez Mercado and Maria Aura as the respective girlfriends of Tenoch and Julio in Ana and Cecilia. The film’s funniest performance comes from Andreas Almeida as Tenoch and Julio’s stoner friend Saba who always likes to get high and be cool with the people.

Maribel Verdu is phenomenal as Luisa, the wife of Tenoch’s cousin who is dealing with her own existential issues as well as her husband’s infidelity as she goes on a trip to escape while teaching the young boys how to seduce women as it’s a very entrancing yet mesmerizing performance from the Spanish actress. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna in outstanding performances in their respective roles of Julio and Tenoch. With Bernal as the middle class Julio and Luna as the more posh Tenoch, the two bring a lot of humor and energy to their characters as well as a sense of humility when the two betray each other. In the scenes they have with Verdu, the chemistry between the three is engaging and intoxicating in the way they play each other out as they all give very lively performances.

***Additional Text Relating to DVD Releases Written from 12/31/14-1/4/15***

The 2002 Region 1 DVD for the film presents it in its 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio in 16x9 widescreen enhanced for widescreen televisions with 5.1 Surround Sound in Spanish with English subtitles. The special features on the DVD include a TV spot and a trailer for the film’s U.S. release as a feature-length audio commentary track from actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Andres Almeida. The commentary is in Spanish where one of its drawbacks is that the commentary doesn’t feature subtitles yet it is quite humorous and lively for the fact that they talk about sex and aspects on the film’s production. The special features also includes 4-minutes of three deleted scenes from the film as two of them are scenes set on the road where they meet an old man and another where Tenoch, Julio, and Lucia talk about sex. The third deleted scene involves a scene where Cecilia tries to give Julio a hand job on their way to the airport.

Two other major special features on the DVD release is a 23-minute making-of documentary on the film as it’s one of the most enjoyable and in-depth looks into making the film. It’s a documentary that explores some of the elements of fun in making the film as well as a few pranks Alfonso Cuaron and his crew would do on Maribel Verdu because she is Spanish and the film is set on location in Mexico. Other things on the documentary involve some of the antics involving Cuaron and producer Jorge Vergara as it’s a very lively and fun making-of doc to watch. The final major special feature is a short film by Carlos Cuaron entitled Me La Debes (You Owe Me One) as this 12-minute short revolves a man returning home unaware that his daughter’s boyfriend is in the house while the man is having an affair with his maid. It’s a very funny short that plays into the world of sex from Carlos Cuaron.

The 2014 Region 1/Region A 2-disc DVD/1-disc Blu-Ray dual-disc release from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a brand new 2k digital transfer for its original 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio under the supervision of Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. Along with a newly remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in Spanish with newly improved English subtitles translation as the film looks and sounds more beautiful in its new remastered presentation. The DVD set retains not just the TV spots, the trailers, the deleted scenes, the making-of documentary, and Carlos Cuaron’s short from the 2002 MGM DVD all in remastered form. It also includes two new special features relating to the film.

The first is a 52-minute section of interviews as it features 11-minutes of old interviews with the Cuaron brothers, Lubezki, Bernal, Luna, and Verdu during its production in 2001. Alfonso talks about the genesis of the idea dating back to the early 90s before he would helm his first feature in Solo con tu Pareja in 1991 as it took years to get the project going. The cast and crew talked about the production while Bernal and Luna talked about their longtime friendship and how they often competed for their roles. Lubezki also discusses his collaboration with Cuaron which dates back to the mid-80s as they both were yearning to evolve in their collaboration. The 2014 41-minute interviews with the same personnel, minus Lubezki, discuss about the film and how it evolved during the production as Bernal and Luna talked about their audition process as the former suggested the latter to Alfonso who was reluctant about hiring Luna because he was a soap star at the time. The biggest coup in the production was getting Verdu on board as she was a major star in Spain as Verdu talked about her experiences as well as the fact that Bernal, Luna, and Alfonso were all fighting each other to get her attention.

She also talked about the slang in the film and Cuaron’s approach to improvisation which she found freeing as an actress. Cuaron also talks about a lot of the film’s influences which were primarily films of Jean-Luc Godard and the French New Wave which inspired the film’s narration. It’s a very amazing interview segment that includes some rare onset photos as well as to see the cast and crew be quite upbeat about the film and its legacy. The nine-minute interview with philosopher Slavoj Zizek about the film’s political/social commentary on the film is a very enjoyable interview where Zizek discusses a lot of the film’s approach to narrative and why it shot Mexico as it is. Some of Zizek’s comments are quite humorous while playing into the main story about Tenoch and Julio as they each represent different classes and political backgrounds as it relates to some of the events that was happening in Mexico. Yet, Zizek also plays into the theme of maturity and how bitter it can be since the idea of change isn’t something easy to accept.

The DVD features a booklet that features an essay by film critic Charles Taylor of the Yale Review in an essay titled Dirty Happy Things. Taylor’s essay explores much of the film’s sexual content but also the theme of maturity that parallels with the sense of change that would emerge in Mexico. Taylor discusses the film with Cuaron’s other films in how they’re all related as well as discuss some of the political context that is in the background in the film. It’s a very engaging essay that understands the film as a road trip, a coming-of-age film, a political film, and a romantic film. The dual-disc set features character bios by Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron on the three principle characters that explores much of their background as it would be used in the film’s final product. The DVD/Blu-Ray set is definitely one of the finest additions to the Criterion Collection it deserves its place to be among the list of great films in that home video series.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Y Tu Mama Tambien is marvelous yet evocative film from Alfonso Cuaron featuring top-notch performances from Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Maribel Verdu. The film is definitely not just one of the best films to come out of Mexico but also one of the great international film treasures from the last decade. It’s a film that show Cuaron being fearless in his depiction towards sexuality without going too far as well as a very human drama about a road trip that would be unforgettable. In the end, Y Tu Mama Tambien is an extraordinarily rich and intoxicating film from Alfonso Cuaron.

Alfonso Cuaron Films: Solo con Tu Pareja - A Little Princess (1995 film) - Great Expectations (1998 film) - Prisoner of Azkaban - Children of Men - Gravity - Roma (2018 film) - The Auteurs #11: Alfonso Cuaron

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