Yo mama!

Every now and again I hear about an obscure, cult, and or limited-released film that might be worth my time. After watching the well-advertised, commercially-successful Pan's Labyrinth, I perused the movie's trivia page on IMDb.com. It noted how Maribel Verdu's modest, subservient character in the movie was different from the sexpot characters she normally plays, i.e. Luisa in Y Tu Mama Tambien. I have no qualms about the fact that I love seeing naked people, especially naked people simulating sex in the name of art and cinema. So immediately I looked up Y Tu Mama Tambien and was surprised that it was as critically acclaimed as it was, that it was and still is the highest grossing film in Mexico's cinematic history, and that I'd never even heard of it. So, as an antidote to my cinematic ignorance, I went to Video 21.

I'd like to take a moment to clue you all in on the wonderful wonderfulness that is Video 21. It's not just a movie rental store; it's the greatest fucking video store I've ever visited. They have damn near ANY movie you want to see. Mainstream movies, independent movies. Movies from years and years past. Cult B and blaxploitation movies. Foreign movies that were never officially released in the United States. This place even has a back room full of porn for sale and rent. Why anyone would pay for porn is beyond me, but that's another topic for another day. Video 21 shames Blockbuster and Redbox. 
  
"Tambien" is about two 18-year-old boys fresh out of high school (or secondary school. Whatever everyone other than Americans call it) whose girlfriends are spending the summer in Europe. (Side note: if you send your lady to Europe alone for more than a week, she's coming back single.) The friendship is an unlikely pairing. Julio's family is working-class, while Tenoch still has servants who prepare his meals for him. Breaking the summer monotony, they meet Luisa, who's married to Tenoch's cousin, and invite her to road trip to a beach that doesn't exist in hopes of at least one of them sleeping with her. Although she initially declines, she gives in and leaves her stable life behind after her husband confessed to her his multiple infidelities.

The lively trio drives through rural Mexico smoking pot, regaling each other with tales of their respective relationships with their partners, talking about and subsequently having sex. It would be unfair to say Luisa is easy, but that fortress is definitely not impenetrable. And those loose castle gates stir up some deep-seated and repressed emotion as well as a few naughty yet spiteful confessions. 

I love this movie for so many reasons but the movie's greatest selling point is director and co-writer Alfonso Cuaron's tendency to make the background seem more like a character than just the setting. Different time throughout "Tambien," the video plays but the audio is muted, allowing a narrator to add more depth and information to the scene. Narration topics range from the real-life political shift in 1999 that put an end to a 71-year political party's reign to the harsh lives of some of the poor people the trio pass on their way to the beach to Tenoch's hesitance to touch anything in Julio's house and Julio's reticence while in Tenoch's house. Initially off-putting, the narrations serve as a way to show the viewer that the movie isn't just about Julio, Tenoch and Luisa. There are other, more important things going on around them that make their arguments seem petty. It's easy to see how much Cuaron appreciates the landscape, from the seldom-traveled roads to politically stirring metropolitan areas to the beach that turned out not to be so made up.

Although the movie is funny, erotic, insightful and at times chaotic, "Tambien" makes me extremely sad. In an effort not be be a heaping bag of homemade vinegary douche, I'll let the ending and other key parts of the movie stay a secret. But during this 106 minutes of cinematic delight, we witness how easily life can change for the worse. Whether it's a family losing their livelihood or a girl dying way too young due to her harsh living conditions, no one is exempt from hard times. But the saddest part of the movie is how easily negligence and inconsideration can shatter a friendship that until a carefree poon-hounding car ride was considered unbreakable. To me, it mirrors how I am not as close to friends with whom I thought I'd never go a day without communicating.

Do yourself a favor. Put Y Tu Mama Tambien in your Netflix queue. If you see it available at Redbox, invest the dollar plus tax. If you happen to be in Blockbuster or the vastly superior Video 21 and they have a copy, jump on that shit and ride it out of the store. This is not a movie that will leave you nonchalant about it. Turn on the English subtitles and let it wash over you like the surf over the shore.

Status Update

Since Nov. 30 I've been trying to get my shit together. In my desire to lead a healthier lifestyle, I have given up fast food, traded sugary drinks for water and fruit juices, and fucked up fruits and veggies like they owed me money. As a result, my body feels a bit healthier, but more importantly, it feels cleaner. I felt guilty during the holidays when I ate a Christmas tree Reese's. I get a bit put off when I see a large amounts of fried food in one place. I can't visibly tell tell if I am losing weight, but I feel like I'm doing better in regards to my health.

But my quest for better living requires me to lose weight. Lots of weight. And to do that, simply eating healthier won't cut it. So now that the gift buying of the holiday season is over, I have money to spend on a gym membership. Fortunately for me -- more specifically, my wallet -- working at PRC gets about ten bucks knocked off my monthly membership fee. So on Jan. 10, for the first time in roughly seven years, I went to a gym.

I feel a bit ashamed to say this, but I was and still am (to an extent) intimidated by gyms. I am a bit unfamiliar with some of the equipment. I'm not sure if i should work on shoulders and legs in one workout or if I should do abs and back. My inability to run a mile without stopping to briskly walk. My overall heavy-duty frame. There are numerous aspects of working out that make me feel very insecure. But I don't like living in fear. And I definitely hate feeling inadequate. So the insecurities and fear can go kick rocks; show me to the treadmill.

My fears proved to be unwarranted since at least half the people were either as out of shape as I and or significantly older. It doesn't take a nuclear physicist with a minor in marine biology to work a treadmill or curl a 20 pound barbell. Working out is like riding a roomy, extremely heavy bike. After about a day or two, I should be back in the swing of things. I think what really has me worried is the amount of effort I'll have to put into working out to finally see physical results. And the amount of time it will take for me to even get close to my goal weight range.

So here's to me keeping my shit together and making these gym visits a daily thing. I appreciate all the encouragement from everyone and will use it as fuel to keep me going. Keep me on my game, folks.

B.Rand