As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me.  As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there.  Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy.  Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering.  In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.

TODAY’S CRITIC: Lafronda Stumn

Lafronda Stumn is a student at Madisonville Community College and intends to graduate with an Associate's degree in Associate of the Arts. She plans on earning a Bachelors Degree in Motion Picture Studies and English at Wright State University. Her favorite Directors are Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Spike Lee, and her favorite actors are Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Halle Berry. Lafronda contacted this page looking for a place to get published and I enjoy giving people that very kind of opportunity. This is her 18th guest review for Every Movie Has a Lesson. Welcome as always, Lafronda!

HER REVIEW: Y Tu Mama Tambien

Alfonso Cuaron is one of the great Mexican directors working. He started directing English language films such as A Little Princess andGreat Expectations before heading his own Spanish language film debut with Y Tu Mama Tambien. 

The film is about a relationship between Julio and Tenoch (Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna), who are best friends who think of sex frequently as most boys believe. The film begins with them having sex with their girlfriends one last time before the girls go to Italy for the summer. Without them, the boys seem bored. 

They go to a wedding and are attracted to young married woman Luisa (Maribel Verdu) at the reception. They both invite her to go to an isolated beach in Mexico. Luisa declines but changes her mind when her husband admits to cheating on her again with another woman.

Julio, Tenoch, and Luisa hop in a Jeep and travel on the road to find the beach. They talk about they get acquainted together. There's flirting and carrying on. They stop at a motel, and Tenoch and Luisa seduce him, have 2-3 minute sex with him. 

Despite the brevity, she is happy and Julio finds out about their affair. Jealousy arises between Tenoch and Julio, and they get into a vicious argument after Tenoch then reveals a secret to Julio that threatens their relationship. There are several scenes that I have issues. All three main characters reveal more things about each other in a not believed location and feel contrived. 

How all three handles these revelations is to me implausible. You don't see Julio and Tenoch correspond with their girlfriend who is in Italy. It seems that they are an afterthought. I also feel that Luisa accuses the young boys of something that feels presumptions. Her reasons for having this relationship are unknown, and does she like these two boys that are young enough to be in her refrigerator. 

I don't see the chemistry between Luísa with either Tenoch or Julio, and the screenplay is rather simplistic. It is about a teenage fantasy about adolescents obsessed with sex who want to prove their masculinity by having an affair with an older woman. I only feel that maybe teenage boys would be interested in this type of movie. Do I care about their journey into sexual nirvana? No.  The film's premise is pretty basic and uninteresting. Who cares about this sexual journey?

I saw much better written, acted, and choreographed scenes of sex and sensuality that are far more intriguing than in this film. The performances are decent, but I don't think a movie about the mindset of 17 yr. Olds and their obsession with sex, especially someone older than him, needed to have a better screenplay and plot for me to stay interested in this pointless and meandering story.

CONCLUSION

Thank you again, Lafronda! You are welcome anytime. Friends, if you see a movie that I don't see and want to be featured on my website, hit up my website's Facebook page and you can be my next GUEST CRITIC!