Rudo y Cursi (Rough and Vulgar)

I happen to admire Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. Since their smashing debut Y Tu Mama Tambien, the Mexican actors have taken the world by storm. Along with Alfonso Cuarόn, del Toro and Iñárritu, (dubbed the three amigos) I believe that Spanish cinema is at the height of its game  in the world cinema since the 1960’s. These guys know films and they have passion for it. Hollywood beckons.

With that being said, I was thrilled to get a chance to see the new project that these men embarked on Rudo y Cursi (Appropriately titled rough and vulgar). The film is directed by the brother of Alfonso, Carlos and we can see that his talent reflects off that of his brother’s. So instead of looking at this movie like I did with Y tu Mama Tambien, I really didn’t know much. The only thing I knew about the story was that Luna and Bernal played two men who rose up from nothing to something and then fell back down to nothing again. That was about it.

I had no expectations when I saw this movie and I think that helped. The movie starts out with two brothers/friends (as Luna and Bernal are real life friends after Y Tu Mama Tambien) trying to get out of the banana plantation that they worked at. Fate happens because fate always does. A man, who happens to be a scout for soccer players, has his car break down near the tiny village where Rudo and Cursi live. Upon seeing their skills as soccer players, he decides to offer them a gambling chance to win a tryout on one of the city teams.

The storyline is great because the characters are really developed… down to their closest family member (very reminiscent of Y Tu Mama Tambien). Rudo, played by Luna, is a competitive starved lunatic driven to become the best soccer player in the world. Cursi is the more sympathetic one desperately trying to use his soccer skills to move into a career in music. While at the top of their game, the brothers/friends make bad decisions that ultimately draw on their own fate in the end. Rudo becomes a cocaine riddled gambling addict, while Cursi falls for the girl who only wants to be with success.

The movie has its humor and it’s nice to see Bernal and Luna working together again (sort of like that old highschool reunion with someone you actually wanted to talk to). Overall, not a bad movie although not a terrific movie. The storyline falls flat because of the pacing of the film, there is just a  which inhibits it from being fully compared to Y tu Mama Tambien. What I do like about the movie is that they focus on developing the characters and the appeal a character might have with the common day man. In essence, I look forward to seeing what this group of Mexican cineastes comes up with next.