Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too!) (Blu-ray) (2001)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Main Menu Audio Menu Audio Featurette-Behind The Scenes Trailer-8 Femmes, Lovely and Amazing
Rating
Year Of Production	2001
Running Time	105:38
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Alfonso Cuaron
Studio Distributor	Producciones Anhelo Icon Entertainment	Starring	Maribel Verdu Gael Garcia Bernal Diego Luna
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$34.95	Music	Various

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Spanish DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     On the surface, Y Tu Mama Tambien ("And Your Mama, Too") is a simple and fun road movie but, like many great films, there’s far more depth than first anticipated by the viewer. Y Tu Mama Tambien effortless swings between being funny, erotic, dramatic, and touching, while always remaining completely emotionally engaging. The witty and clever script has been beautifully executed by co-producer, co-writer and director, Alfonso Cuarón, and Y Tu Mama Tambien is now available to enjoy at home in high definition on Blu-ray disc.

     With their girlfriends having just left to holiday in Europe, two testosterone-charged Mexican teenagers, Tenoch (Diego Luna) and Julio (Gael García Bernal) are left at a loose end. At a social function they meet the wife of a distant relative, Luisa (Maribel Verdú). Struck by her classic beauty and playful sophistication, they immediately invite her to join them on a trip to a fictitious beautiful beach-side spot they call “Heaven’s Mouth”. After an unexpected and emotional turn of events, Luisa calls the boys and spontaneously agrees to their suggestion of a weekend road trip.

     Along the way, Alfonso Cuarón creates a wonderful emotional journey that is reflected in the individual characters' physical journey, and the varying locations and landscapes of Mexico. The boys will learn that while women might be wonderful objects of beauty and desire, it is the two young men that will reveal far more of themselves, far more than just their bodies, in their pursuit of the elusive Luisa. At all times, the film's surface frivolity and carefree humour masks an underlying sense of tragedy, as the film builds toward its final revelation.

     Also, along the way the film weaves in subtle political observations regarding the two Mexico’s we are confronted with visually throughout. One of the boys comes from a wealthy family, the other is working class, and along their coming-of-age journey they will be exposed to many images of Mexico’s poverty, and the plight of the many people who do not prosper, but struggle through a harsh life.

     Y Tu Mama Tambien received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film, but for me the film's centrepiece is the outstanding acting performance by Maribel Verdú as Luisa. Throughout the story she playfully teases, quizzes, analyses and even scolds the two boys, while evoking feelings of joy and sadness, in them, and the audience.

Video

     Y Tu Mama Tambien is presented with a high definition transfer, having been authored in 1920 x 1080p. It has been encoded using AVC compression. The transfer is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, in a native widescreen 16x9 frame. This is the film's original theatrical ratio.

     The Blu-ray's transfer is a bit of a mixed bag, but to be fair the original film was shot on a modest budget and is almost ten years old now. Noticeable on larger screens, the transfer can appear quite grainy at times, but it is noticeably better than the previous DVD. There are no problems with MPEG or Film-To-Video Artefacts, but some edge enhancement is noticeable, and minor Film Artefacts appear throughout. Some of the photography is hand-held, and intentionally introduces some shaky segments. The biggest problem for me was the de-saturated appearance of the transfer. While skin tones are fine, colours often appeared washed-out or bleak. Considering some of the sun-drenched locations in Mexico, including those at the beach, I question if the sky was intended to look so grey and murky by the filmmakers? Only English subtitles are offered and they are accurate. The feature is divided into 14 chapters.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Spanish dts HD MA 5.1 audio is the only audio option provided on this Blu-ray.

    The dialogue quality and audio sync are good.

    Y Tu Mama Tambien is a dialogue-based drama, and rear speakers are only called upon to provide some ambience.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    There are a few extras.

Floating Menus

    As with other Blu-rays, the menu options can be accessed while the film is playing.

You Owe Me One (11:44)

    A short film presented in standard definition, with Spanish stereo audio and English subtitles.

Underadmitted (2:34)

Colour Bars (0:30)

Deleted Scenes

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:21)

UK Theatrical Trailer (1:38)

Making Of (22:35)

Cast & Crew

    I understand that the disc is region-free and ours will be identical to the US and UK release.

    Y Tu Mama Tambien is a fun and raunchy, yet haunting, film that is well worth seeing.

    The video quality is acceptable, but this is no demo-disc. The audio quality is also acceptable.

    The extras are limited.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall