I leave to Colombia in less than a week and whenever I gear up to jet below the equator, I turn towards Spanish films, radio, books and music to brush off the cobwebs on my out-of-practice Spanish. I just finished watching the Mexican film Y Tu Mama Tambien where Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal play naive, rich teenagers who embark on an impromptu road trip to a beautiful beach with the radiant and alluring Luisa, who is played by Maribel Verdu. As the trio drive through Mexican back country and dirt roads, they catch glimpses of corruption, political unrest and poverty in their rear view mirror.
True to form, the look at Mexico’s very real socioeconomic issues (still prevalent today) are in the background of the three characters as they each navigate their own personal problems. The two friends struggle with betrayal from both having slept with the other one’s girlfriend, Luisa overcomes her husband’s marital infidelity and something much more ominous (no spoilers here!) and it seems that through travel and exposure to how other people live, the road trip becomes a sort of off-beat soul-searching adventure. The two best friends evolve entirely-their once solid camaraderie shaken to its core-while Luisa seems to find peace with her circumstances by simply falling in love with beauty, pleasure and the kindness of strangers.
It is an interesting film that is at times abrasive, in-your-face and leaves you at once puzzled and thoughtful. To watch Y Tu Mama Tambien and take it at face value as a movie about two raucous boys who become tangled up with an older woman would be a mistake; the movie is symbolic and speaks on many levels to sex, pleasure, travel, life and our inherent tendencies of how we get caught up in life’s trivial details.
For me, the movie really resonated on two levels. On one hand, it made me nostalgic for that amazing perspective and healing that comes from facing your demons against the backdrop of a beautiful country. I can relate to that feeling Luisa seems to have of having the weight lifted off your shoulders as you sit nestled in the sand, staring out at a perfect ocean vista and realizing that everything in your life will be okay. In the last two years of my life I went through many changes-I parted ways with friends, called off a wedding and thus ended a relationship of over three years and moved into a new home and started a new life. I have changed jobs, have flourished in my travel writing and eventually pulled through the storm to be smiling on the other side. I’ve had my trials and tribulations to say the least but I will never forget how solo traveling in Argentina, dancing with friends in Panama and flying with friends to Colombia had felt like a lighthouse during a hurricane. These trips brought me far from where I started, gave me the strength to ask myself hard questions of what I want and don’t want and-after Argentina-I came back to New York like a warrior marching into battle and trudged through the mud of my world to take back the reigns of my life. I fell in love with travel during this time and now, on the brink of yet another trip to South America, I feel lucky to head back to Cartagena-a place that inspired my love of travel and as a result this very blog.
The other part of Y Tu Mama Tambien that hit home was this idea of being so caught up in your quest for perspective and self-discovery that you miss the realities of the destination you are visiting. How many times did this trio of friends drive by impoverished farmers, military checkpoints and downtrodden towns? How many times did the three stop to see the darker side of Mexico vs. continue replaying a drama with a girlfriend back home? It’s human nature to analyze and dwell, to get caught up in the minutiae of daily life; God knows I am guilty of the same. Suffice it to say, Y Tu Mama Tambien is a film that leaves you pensive. Like life, the movie can be abrasive, unpredictable, sad, frustrating, hilarious, uplifting and intense but is definitely worth a watch (if for no other reason but an excuse to brush up on your Spanish).
Y Tu Mama Tambien is available on Netflix.
It’s your turn! What movie inspires you and leaves you thoughtful? Share your comments, questions and feedback below!
