Others on Gael

I think I'll indulge myself with a further Gael García Bernal post: An odd entry on Daniel Drezner's list of the best international relations movies was none other than Y Tu Mamá También. A very odd entry. He writes:

Buried within this romp about two Mexican teenagers going on a road trip with a very attractive woman is a lot of subtext about the ways in which globalization has affected Mexico. I'm not sure I agree with all of it, but director Alfonso Cuarón is quite deft in making his points without banging you on the head repeatedly to do it.

I guess he's talking about the end. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but if I remember correctly the family at the beach is staring at the end of their peaceful way of life because of plans to build a resort or something along those lines. Or maybe the fact that the woman is a Spaniard alone in Mexico. But I don't recall one moment of the film that made you say, "Aaaah, globalization." The movie's most poignant reflections on poverty and class, from the family of beach bums to the doomed friendship of the protagonists, would have been just as applicable to Mexico twenty, thirty, forty years ago.

Also, if I may link to one more García Bernal piece, this (Spanish) profile from Gatopardo last year was great.

(H/T FK.)