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THE SWEETEST THING While there are dozens of movies each year that can be called box office hits, there are only one or two that can be deemed influential -- that is to say, the sort of picture that's not only financially successful but that's then endlessly aped by every fledgling filmmaker desperately hoping that lightning will strike twice. One obvious example is There's Something About Mary, a critical and commercial hit whose gross-out style has since been endlessly imitated in such duds as Saving Silverman, Say It Isn't So and now The Sweetest Thing. There are two things immediately apparent after watching this feature from the director of Cruel Intentions (Roger Kumble) and one of the writers of South Park (Nancy M. Pimental): 1) Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair clearly are all gifted comediennes; and 2) all three deserve to have their efforts showcased in a movie much better than this one. Billed as a romantic comedy, this instead proves to be about as romantic as a gas station urinal (one of which is featured prominently in this film). Ostensibly a keen analysis of what happens when a party girl (Diaz) realizes it might be that point in her life when she should stop fooling around and settle down into a long-term relationship, the film quickly chucks this promising idea in favor of lathering on a series of sight gags that are so ineptly staged by Kumble that they produce apathy rather than laughs or even disgust. 1/2

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN To tag this Mexican import from director Alfonso Cuaron (A Little Princess) and screenwriter Carlos Cuaron the art-house equivalent of a teen sex comedy would not only be irresponsible but also entirely misleading, since it quickly becomes obvious that Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) has more on its mind than simply the male orgasm. Ultimately, it begs comparison with something like Thelma & Louise more than American Pie, exploring not only the liberation (sexual and otherwise) of its leading characters but also the mythos and pathos of the landscape across which they make their life-altering journey. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna portray two of the most realistic teenagers recently seen on screen, raging bulls of hormonal overdrive whose actions always remain within the context of utter believability (in short, nobody humps a pastry in this movie). During one fateful summer, they decide to embark on a road trip to the beach with an "older" (read: late-20s) woman (Maribel Verdu) at their side, a dental assistant from Spain who's trying to come to terms with both the failure of her marriage and the dark secret that seemingly inspires her increasingly bold actions. Sexually explicit in a manner rarely seen in American titles (MPAA goon Jack Valenti would have a heart attack if he tried to sit through this, so its studio chose to release it unrated) yet also mindful of its country's sociopolitical breakdown, this is a mature drama that snares the viewer with seductive ease. 1/2