19. And Also Your Mother

Saw Y Tu Mama Tambien today. The movie starts off with an outrageous scene, and then goes on to become the road movie that it is. I liked the movie, though R didn't seem to care for it all that much.

Road movies are lucky in that they have a ready-made linear structure in-built. All the screenwriter has to go is to hang a few interesting scenes off the straight line. Did have a plot that is more than what I am making this out to be. I especially liked all the subtle unspoken things that were going on in the background. The director alludes to, but never mentions outright, the dirty wargoing on in Mexico and elsewhere.

The dialog was fastpaced, and had to pause and step back in the DVD several times to catch the full impact of what was being said. The director resorted to the repeated voice-over as a stylistic decision. It works in most of the places, not so well in others.

As I said to R later, Hollywood movies and movies from other countries are similar only in as much as the format. Everything else seems to be different.

Musing:
Does all art that attempts to make an impact also have to outrage or shock?

Jungle Lovers
Am reading around one chapter a day. I am happy that I can see a little rougher Theroux than say the polished writer who wrote Fresh Air Fiend. There are lots of annoying parenthetical comments, which could just as well have been mixed into the narrative. The sharp observation is there, the scaffolding that helped create the plot is visible at places. A great writer who is creating himself, book by book.