Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna were ridiculously charming together as randy teenagers on a life-changing road trip in Alfonso Cuaron's memorable Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001). Eight years later, they are back together for the first time, playing rival step brothers in Carlos Cuarón's broad comedy Rudo Y Cursi. The fault doesn't lie with the still enormously appealing actors, but this film, a box office hit in Mexico, can't begin to compare.
Bernal plays Tato, the younger, light-hearted brother, a gifted soccer player who would rather be a singer. Luna plays Beto, older and resentful, a talented goalie with a gambling problem. They are discovered by a recruiter in their small home town in Mexico, but after being drafted into the big leagues and moving to the big city, the two brothers quickly crash and burn.
To put it plainly, both actors play unlikeable dimwits. Tato (Bernal) is lacking in the brains department. He falls prey to a super sexy pop star (Adriana Paz) who cares about him only when he's hot. Whereas Beto (Luna) takes his hard-working wife for granted and complains incessantly -- even when things are going well. The hackneyed plot leads to a showdown on the soccer field, when the brothers are forced to face each other at the goal line in front of a national audience.
It's a shame that Bernal and Luna could not have had a better project for their reunion. The actors are clearly having a blast in Rudo Y Cursi, hamming it up for the camera. The good news is Bernal and Luna have been consistently appearing in quality films since Y Tu Mama Tambien. Bernal can currently be seen in Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control, and Luna was terrific -- and underappreciated -- as Sean Penn's needy boyfriend in the Acamedy-Award winning Milk.
Rudo Y Cursi (2009)
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna profile, Jessica Mas, Ivan Esquivel, Guillermo FrancellaDirected by: Carlos Cuaron
Produced by: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu (II), Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro
Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.
Release Date: May 8th, 2009 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, sexual content and brief drug use.
Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics
