RUDO Y CURSI (2009)

Written & Directed by Carlos Cuaron



Where & When: Beverly Center 13, West Hollywood, CA. May 26, 2009



I had just read a disturbing story in the paper this morning about a Roman Catholic man in Ireland was beaten to death by a mob of militant Protestant supporters of a Scottish soccer team and they severely injured his wife and a friend. What the fuck is wrong with people?? It's just a stupid game. It's not worth taking some one's life!

So today I went to see, "Rudo y Cursi", a film about two poor, dim brothers who get an opportunity to become soccer stars and how the pursuit of winning causes them to lose themselves in all of the wrong things. Luckily it is a comedy but a dark one.

The story is about Beto who everyone calls "Rudo" which in Spanish means "tough" and Tato who is appropriately nicknamed "Cursi" which means "corny". The brothers are played by Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal respectively who are reunited with the writer of "Y Tu Mama Tambien".

Beto and Tato work unhappily at a banana plantation when one day they help a man with a flat tire traveling through their village. While waiting for the repair, he just happens to catch the boys playing soccer. The man named Batuta, just by chance, is a soccer talent scout and sees the potential in the brothers.

Beto sees this as a way to get out of his lousy job and to help his family while Tato thinks this will be an opportunity to use soccer as way to get to follow his real desire to be a singer. The problem that he sings as well as most of those people during the "American Idol" auditions will not interfere with his dream.

Batuta decides he can only handle one of them so he will choose Tato if he makes the goal and Beto if he blocks him. A misunderstanding sends Tato to Mexico City with Batuta and causes some friction between the brothers.

After a rocky start, Tato finds success as a player and uses it to get his brother on a soccer team and tries to start a singing career. Neither brother is prepared for life in the big city and is completely overwhelmed by it. Beto gets wrapped up in drugs and a gambling problem while Tato is seduced by a sophisticated beauty that's more than he can handle.

"Rudo Y Cursi" is full of charm, humor, drama and thrills. Mr. Luna and Mr. Bernal have great chemistry together and both shine in their roles, proving once again, they make a terrific bromantic acting team. Mr. Cuaron has done well with his first film and look forward to seeing what he does next.