[HPFGU-Movie] Y Tu Mama reference in PoA

[GulPlum]

At 16:20 07/06/04 , Mandy wrote:

<snip>

>... I know that Y Tu
>Mama is a story of seduction between two teen boys and older woman,
>so it would fit, and Curon seems to be naughty enough to do something
>like that.  Who out there who has seen Y Tu Mama help with this one?

In plot terms, there's not that much similarity between YTMT and PoA, but 
in terms of filmic style, it's very clear that these two movies are by the 
same person. If one really has to look for a plot similarity, though, both 
films are intrinsically about friendship and trust and the breakdown of 
that trust. The two male protagonists of YTMT are very close friends and 
they both fall for the woman at the same time. BTW she's not *that* much 
older than they are (this isn't "The Graduate" - she's under twice their 
age) :-). Their adventures strain their friendship and their trust in each 
other (there's a particular - notorius - scene later in the movie which 
does this very symbolically as well as the literal breakdown).

You're not alone in seeing the opening sequence of PoA as imbued with 
innuendo - but there is absolutely *nothing* subtle or sub-textual about 
the sexual content of the opening sequence of YTMT! (I know people who were 
quite shocked by this.)

However, the way in which it's shown is very similar - we come into the 
room from outside (while hearing the sound from within) and then back out 
again, like a voyeur, as if we're not really supposed to be witnessing the 
scene.

Cuaron's penchant for hand-held photography is even more abundant in YTMT, 
though, which serves the slightly intrusive nature of our witnessing this 
story very well.

Of course, the lush green Scottish pastures are replaced by the arid 
expanses of Mexican desert, so we have a completely different colour 
palette, but the interior scenes are shot very similarly (Julio wandering 
around his home is very similar to Harry at the Durselys'.)

Another point of similarity is Cuaron's eye for the minutiae of teenage 
life: we understand what these people's lives are like from a series of 
vignettes of them just *living*, which is something I certainly got from 
from PoA as well.

I'm unlikely to say anything else of a constructive nature without 
including spoilers for YTMT, so I'll shut up here, but I'd be happy to 
continue this conversation once you've seen it. (BTW I recall that there 
was some debate when it came out, that it may have an NC-17 rating in the 
USA - this would have been a major stupidity!)

One way or another, I'd recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't been 
completely mind-numbed by regular Hollywood fare and doesn't give up at the 
first sign of a little naked flesh.

--
GulPlum AKA Richard, who seems to have a busy evening ahead sifting through 
hundreds of PoA-related messages on various lists...