Friday, January 9, 2009

top to top: the top film on my top 100 favorite films list

"life is like the waves you just have to go with the flow." ana as portrayed by maribel verdu.
in the eyes of a young fellow, life is all bout having fun and probably for most of us, this is what we keep on struggling to regain back. free spirited, could not care less and spontaneous. from which, the only thing that drives us is satisfying our own pleasures, whatever that may be. we all had our own shares of it and sometimes reminiscing those moments are still sweet as the beer that we hold in our hands and tastier than the stick we smoke. as if it seemed like everything is completely different from before. but come to think of it, nothing really changed among those things. it is actually us, who have changed. we were changed and continuosly being changed.
y tu mama tambien (and your mother too) is a very memorable film for me and you may say that i have my own biases on why i chose it to top my film list. but basically, the film was the first foreign film that i have seen and made me hunt and watch more films on the same genre. at first, i find its pace very sluggish, boring and somehow confusing. if not for the sex scenes (yes, i also have that immature excitement in me before whenever i see flesh) i probably been sleeping for the rest of the film. until, suddenly i noticed minute details on each scene and how it created a connection as the film progresses. from that point, i felt a sudden urge of looking for significant details. not to mention, watching each films not on what it showing its audience but more on what it is hiding behind it.
the story revolved between the lives of two young boys, julio and tenoch, who came from well off families. they were living and enjoying a decadent teenage life, an epitome of sex, pots, rock and roll. until, one day they got acquianted with ana, the wife of tenoch most hated cousin who came from spain. ana has a gorgeous body and a very free spirited and quite naive personality. they learned that ana wanted to try the beaches of mexico. so two planned in seducing her by inviting her over to a remote beach that doesn't really exist, boca del cielo (mouth of paradise).

as they went off in search of the place, the three will find themselves entangled with each other. they will discover reality from which they are actually in: the truth behind sex, drugs and friendship.
if you'll watch the film thoroughly, you'll notice how the car they are driving symbolizes their lives. fast paced but sometimes would break out and stop. but as the car goes along the road, they would tend to notice the reality outside their lives: poverty, militarization, political instability, crimes and what not. but they will not stop. they will still keep on driving until they reach paradise(pleasure). eventhough they really don't know where they are going.
something needs to stop working, be disrupted in order for them to stop and appreciate life outside their box. and this, i believe is the problem for most of us, especially those who are living in the city. at the end, julio and tenoch will go back to mexico. they will go to college and will find separate careers and they will never be the same person agains, atleast with each other.
while the viewers, atleast for me, will never be the same person again after the film ends. one will realize that eventhough the curtain has been closed, the film will keep on rolling as we recreate it on our own story.

20 comments:

N said...

the movie sounds interesting as you have told it. i am a fan of obscure foreign films also since most of them is close to what we call the reality of life. as with my own experiencing watching these kind of films, they taught me some of life's significant lessons.

i'll watch the film Y Tu Mama Tambien. :)

... said...

Ay! I can't agree more. I lurve this movie. I watched it with my sisters. Hahaha! This is one of the best films ever made.

You made the right choice Ewik. Kahit na dapat 'Mean Girls' ang nandiyan sa top. Lol

bulitas said...

damn i love that movie!

charolastra!!

5 years ago this movie changed my view about so many things in life. haha. astig lang!

Abou said...

i have to see this film

gillboard said...

I've seen this film. It's a very well done film. hehe

Kape Kanlaon\ said...

where can i buy, download this film?
siguro na release ito when i was still 2 years old..hahahah
parang ok pang soul-searching ito..hehe

Chyng said...

Oohh, I know it will be on the list. And like carlo, favorite niya din yan! Very memorable ang Y Tu Mama Tambien!

Congrats sa finale entry ng 100 films mo! Effort!

Yj said...

hahahaha i should have known.... GAEL parin ang numero uno mo.... this was the first gael and diego film ive ever seen, and it made me hunt their other movies.....

truly remarkable......

Dabo said...

Congrats ewikk! Good choice (as if napanood ko hehee)

the screaming mimi said...

the first movie i saw in UP. happy freshie days at the film center.

Niel said...

We can't always agree on everything. :)

mikel said...

i love this movie! :) hit to nung bata pa ako. haha

@delirium: magkabatch ata tayo!

A.Dimaano said...

Alfonso Cuaron is one of the great Mexican filmakers today. At league with Guillermo Del Toro (Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy 2) and Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu (Babel, 21 Grams).

I haven't seen this film of his though. Yung sa Harry Potter lang nya ang napanood ko.

Colbourn Family said...

meron ako dvd nito, lagi ko pina nonood.

TennyBear said...

i knew it.. i've been looking forward to see what could be in ur top 1.. inabangan ko cfrom top 100 and nagtataka ako bkt wala ang "y tu mama tambien.." then un.. number 1 pla! "life is like the surf... just give urself away like the sea..." loves it! :)

escape said...

i was able to watch this movie. the views of the towns looks very much like the philippines.

Unknown said...

whoaah. i think i like this movie na. i wanna watch it.. is this still available? :]

ingaats tsong! :]

pie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
pie said...

oh, y tu mamma.. the bisexuality 101 film. hehehe. love this too.
especially the last part where maribel verdu's character was swimming toward la boca del cielo.. a very poetic way to depict dying!

the spool artist said...

i watched this film in cinemanila on the big screen and i was totally blown away. i can totally see why you chose it on the top of your favorite movie list.