There are those who would, without much thought, describe "Y Tu Mama Tambien" as a raunchy teen sex comedy.  For those individuals, the door is that way.  After all, teen sex comedies these days (referred to by some as "teensploitation') have no other purpose than to present a bunch of horny teens getting it on.  At best, that sort of thing is good for a few chuckles, but all in all it is a tired, redundant genre.  So immediately we can cross one thing off of the list of things "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is not.  With this film, director/writer Alfonso Cuaron has something much more important to share with his audience than anything so frivolous.

This being somewhat of a road trip, any basic description of the plot will be short.  Julio Zapata (Gael Garcia Bernal) and his rich friend Tenoch Iturbide (Diego Luna) are two best friends who have just said goodbye to their girlfriends who have left for a study in Europe.  They swore that they would not cheat on them, but along comes Luisa Cortes (Maribel Verdu), who they lure by saying they know of a beautiful beach named "Heaven's Mouth".  Luisa decides to join them on a trip to this supposed paradise.  For obvious reasons, Julio and Tenoch are psyched.

So far, I have probably not done a very good job of convincing you that this is not teensploitation, but stick with me.  Cuaron has devised "Tambien" in such a way that it succeeds on multiple levels of storytelling.  First, and possibly most importantly, Cuaron is showing us Mexico.  What he presents to us in "Tambien" is much more telling of his home country than much of what one may see on CNN.  From time to time, a narrator interjects and reveals something about the area, or a character passing by, that may seem irrelevant and insignificant.  Quite the contrary.  The experiences Luisa, Julio and Tenoch have with locals (in addition to the narrator) give "Tambien"'s Mexico its depth.  It makes "Tambien"'s purpose much more universal and much clearer.  The main characters themselves are a perfect example of the class system in Mexico.  Simply observe the contrast between the lifestyles of Julio and Tenoch.

Now, let me focus on the main plot, that of the trio headed for "Heaven's Mouth".  It does not matter whether the beach exists or not; it is the journey that matters.  After a short while, it is very apparent that Luisa would not get upset over them lying about the existence of a beach.  (For those who have not seen the film, I suggest you skip the next two paragraphs for fear of spoilers).  She knows precisely why she was invited on the trip.  She will let the two teenagers try to seduce her.  Luisa has joined to teach the two boys something about women; something about themselves; something about life.

Luisa starts going about this by trying to release both of their tensions.  However, not everything goes as planned, for once both of them has had their go with her, their tension (sexual and otherwise) is not lifted but doubled.  From there, it is clear that Luisa has a little to learn as well. 

The crafting of the three main characters is extraordinary.  Not since last year's "In the Bedroom" have fictional individuals been so convincingly brought to life.  Alfonso and his brother Carlos have written the characters not thinking necessarily with actors in mind (it is always painfully evident when a screenwriter does so), but as real people.  The actors, therefore, actually have to act, they have to make themselves slip into their roles so that they can make the viewer forget that they are anyone else but their character.  Shouldn't that always be the way it's done?  The trio does magnificently in realizing this goal, and should be commended.

So there you have it.  "Y Tu Mama Tambien" has much more to say than your sister's sex comedy.  It is an understatement to say that it is refreshing; seeing a film where there is a purpose behind the sex.  It is also refreshing to see a filmmaker deliver a portrait of a civilization without being pretentious.  So if you like being refreshed, go see this film.  If you would rather stick to watching brainless sex, there's an adult section in most video rental stores.