Can Not-Mexican people really enjoy this movie?
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michael_wafula — 13 years ago(April 07, 2012 06:53 AM)
African (Kenyan) guy here. Don't speak a word of Spanish, never been to Mexico but I think I know what you're talking about. Many, many similarities with my culture/country. My absolute favourite scene: When the three arrived at that guest house/restaraunt on the first night on the road and they're talking on the table; the beggar with hat in hand; as evening life continues outside as people pop in and out of shops going about their business; and as the waitress comes to take their order, the camera turns and follows this woman who walks, in acknowledges the beggar, turns a corner and walks up to join her friends; the old lady taking a huge swig of her drink and then busts a spontaneous dance; then you see the kitchen staff cooking the meals etc. Except for the brown instead of black people, this could have been in some rural village in Kenya.
I also loved the unfinished construction on the road, the police overtaking and arresting some elements by the roadside; haggling with the mechanic when their car broke down; the way that woman prepared that coconut(?) drink for the lady; even the lady with baby on her back waiting at the bus stand, I related to so much. I think its just shared developing world sensibilities. -
PoppyTransfusion — 13 years ago(August 12, 2012 10:40 AM)
Non-Mexicans may not appreciate the finer points of the film but its themes - love, life, death, mortality, growing up - are ones that anyone can identify with. Combine these with actors that inspire joie de vivre and an exploration of Mexico that most non-Mexicans could never access to enjoy and you have one fantastic film.
I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl -
GuyOnTheLeft — 13 years ago(November 04, 2012 01:58 AM)
You might be right. I didn't realise they were in Mexico until about halfway through the film; before that I took them for some reason to be from a South American country like Argentina.
See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc -
pako_dl — 13 years ago(January 28, 2013 10:46 PM)
I'm Mexican, you're right, I love this movie because it captures Mexico like no other Mexican movie has, it captures it not as a beauty, not as something ugly, it captures it as a fact. I think non Mexican people can enjoy this movie because it's a great movie, buy only Mexicans could truly relate to every aspect of it.
Whenever I get tiered of Mexican movies showing the decadence in Mexico, I go back and watch this movie. -
PamBaby — 13 years ago(February 06, 2013 06:46 AM)
I can't fully answer this question, because I'm not from Mexico and so I can never experience this movie from a different perspective, only as that of an American watching the movie. What I can say is that this movie completely changed my understanding of Mexico. As close as this country is to my own, being a direct neighbor, and despite having to take a course on it while in school, I was completely ignorant about Mexico and the Mexican people on a personal, day-to-day level. My viewpoint was completely informed through the daily news and documentaries that only spoke about disease, poverty, and crime. Co-workers and acquaintances from Mexico did nothing to dispel or temper this impression.
This movie, of course, also showed this side of life in Mexico. But it showed so much more than that. It humanized things I had only come to think of as "issues." More importantly, I saw for the first time, people of my own age group (at the time) living their lives and what I learned is that we are all so completely alike. All of us. This could be a movie set in the U.S. or Europe or anywhere. These characters are so easy to relate to. -
TheAstor — 12 years ago(May 04, 2013 01:42 PM)
I don't really know what you guys mean. I'm Aussie, been to Mexico (loved it), but what do you mean when you say 'it captures Mexico'? There was nothing in this movie where I was like "oh, I didn't know they behaved like that in Mexico" or anything like that. It was a movie set in Mexico
Is there a misconception about Mexico or something, because nothing in this film surprised or stood out to me in that way. -
attygreennorris — 12 years ago(November 01, 2013 01:31 PM)
African-American female here. Loved it. In fact, I just recommended it in another thread (Doom Generation) for someone looking for a movie with sexual tension between the male leads, who also happened to be involved with a woman.
Davida
"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die." -
Jokercrow — 12 years ago(November 05, 2013 10:11 AM)
I'm a french guy from Qubec (Canada) and I just LOVE this movie !
I't on my very top list with other movies like:
Ikiru
Fight Club
Das Experiment
The Piano Teacher
Oldboy
Lost in Translation
Night of the Living Dead
12 Angry Men
Requiem for a Dream
Alien
But I agree with you on one point. I don't think this movie could has been as good if it has been set in New Zealand or Baltimore. Every place as a different feeling, and Y tu mam tambin feels like it just catch that very feeling in addition to all it's other qualities. -
fishingbird — 12 years ago(January 10, 2014 03:07 PM)
I was wondering this myself too. I just watched it a few moments ago and I really really enjoyed it. But I thought it it was possible for a non-mexican to get the enjoyment out of it that I got because of the cultural differences. It was pretty funny, the way Julio and Tenoch spoke and interacted, the whole naco thing. I'm not sure if non-mexicans would get it, and also, the english subtitles excluded a lot of the humor and dialogue.
Great movie, Quaron is the man.
If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?
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egy-1 — 12 years ago(January 10, 2014 06:29 PM)
LMAO of course we can? I just saw it, I'm italian (i've watched it with the italian voice over of course, we're the best =P)
I really really liked it a lot! I'M SO HAPPY NOBODY DID THE REMAKE 'cause this is extremely remakable!!! Please, Alfonso, keep your film away from them. -
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