1. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)
Without a doubt Cuaron's 2001 film "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is his best work to date, which is saying something, considering Cuaron's ability to weave magnificent films out of any stories. Y Tu Mama Tambien was a coming of age story with two teenage boys, and a woman in her late 20's. The story sees two best friends, Julio and Tenoch, travel to find a hidden beach and are joined by Luisa, the wife of Tenoch's older cousin Jano. As too normal teenage boys, the film often delves into them boasting about their sexual exploits, and are both keen to impress the attractive Luisa, as they travel though rural Mexico trying to find a beach called "Boca Del Cielo", Heaven's Mouth in English. At the start, the boys are best friends as they head on their travels, however, as the trip goes on their secrets are stripped bare and their friendship fades into nothingness, as their past indiscretions and Luisa come between them. Luisa, almost using her position of power amongst the two boys seduces both of them, which leads to the boys friendship breaking down further, but Luisa raises points about the boys friendships and leaves them to question not only themselves but their friendship. The movie is also heavily narrated, which provides an outlet for an explanation of not only the immediate context of the scene but also broader context of what was going on in the rest of society, as sort of footnotes for the movie. The three main characters are powerful in their own respects, the boys deal with a multitude of issues, from issues of class with Tenoch coming from a family connected to the ruling class and Julio from a middle class family, to their girlfriends, who had cheated on them with the other. Luisa is also a fascinating character, after the revelation from her husband Julio and the powerlessness that had come with his confession to her, to her ultimate stance of power between the boys with her overwhelming control of her sexuality, puts her very much as the woman who is predominantly in charge. While at times it seemed as though Luisa was trying to tear the boys apart, especially after seducing both of them, she also seems to form as the glue for the group, bringing the boys together again when they seemed to be fighting. Cuaron's story was very enjoyable with thrilling twists and turns and fast paced dialogue a trade mark of these movies. Not only that but the interaction between the leads feels both genuine and relatable, while retaining it's sense of humour. The movie also allows for the main characters to grow and mature in a way that the audience can noticeably watch them develop, as Cuaron twists their narratives together on the car trip.