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Rudo y Cursi
Sony Pictures // R // August 25, 2009
List Price: $28.96 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Film:
Here's a quick rundown on Rudo y Cursi: two siblings working day-to-day as farmhands -- the oldest a slightly-hardened pessimist, the younger a whiny dreamer -- are discovered by a talent scout in the middle of nowhere while playing sports in a backwater recreational league. They leave their homes via the whims of the agent and become big rags-to-riches success stories in a professional league, then clash together in a conflict-riddled final game that'll define their relationships for the rest of their lives.
Yes, that's a slightly vague synopsis on my part, but the framework still sounds deviously familiar to something else at face value. Though it imitates a film seventeen years its senior, the sappy yet sweetly satisfying A League of Their Own, it's handled in a fashion that pours over the charm from Alfonso Cuarón's intimate Mexican dramas, Y tu mamá también and Sólo con tu pareja -- both of whom have director Carlos Cuarón, Alfonso's brother, attached as writer. However, all that creates an uphill battle for the simpler-minded Rudo y Cursi, pitting familiarities against familiarities in a sports film that's amusing yet dryly unoriginal.
With the slightly snake-like agent narrating their story, we follow Beto, "Rudo" (Diego Luna), and his brother Tato "Cursi" (Gael García Bernal), as they skyrocket up the ranks in professional soccer. Rudo, a brash banana foreman with a taste for gambling, supports his family with little more in his imagination outside of becoming a soccer superstar. Cursi, however, wishes to be a singer, and only follows through with the agent's luring because of his persuasive comments about the concerts he'll eventually play as an athlete-turned-musician. Through the extraordinarily easy (and highly suspect) magic that the obnoxious agent conjures up, they both make it to the pros -- and, naturally, both of these agricultural-working, sheltered men get tossed around with the sharks in the professional league, both on and off the field.
Carlos Cuarón's direction takes this familiar narrative about sibling rivalry and gives it a nice comedic kick. He invigorates the dynamic with natural yet harpy-like bickering in spots between Rudo and Cursi, mostly during their adrenaline-fueled antics before they're brought up to the Mexico City soccer league. Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna build their pre-sports characters adequately, making both Rudo and Cursi endearing while preserving the interplay that made their chemistry in Y tu mamá también a delight. Even as the agent stumbles into their dusty town and "makes a decision" between the two in absolutely ridiculous fashion, their banter carries the film gracefully over the hurdle between bloated family-centered explosiveness and into the professional sports ring.
Once they've become big shot soccer pros, Rudo y Cursi begins a flamboyant roll downhill. Carlos Cuarón's ample direction gradually evaporates at around the halfway point, which exposes a secondhand, cliché story framework that loses the attractive promise that was built up in the first half. It begins to go in auto-pilot, to a degree; between the one-two punch of Tato's singing career and all-to-predictable marital issues, along with Rudo's own domestic bouts revolving around gambling and martial breakdown, it transforms into a slightly amusing yet extraordinarily predictable hodgepodge of sports antics and sibling rivalry. All the satirical potshots are amusing, sure -- like the ridiculous music video Cursi records and the threatening fans reminiscent of American high-school football crazies -- but the combination of musing-like narration and unconvincingly smooth sport framework take it down a few notches.
There's clearly talent swimming around in Carlos Cuarón, both as a writer and, potentially, as a director, but Rudo y Cursi might have been too undemanding and structured of a comedy for his premiere directorial effort. The vibrant tone he sets for the film feels like a jubilant stenciling of a past picture with an overly familiar force driving it across the finish line, even while he's deftly handling the tension of the soccer field and scattering humor about for good measure. It does make us laugh though, which seems like the primary aim behind this sports flick, and somehow it's impossible to ignore its flavor of comedic timing. Though too silly and far too familiar for its own good, you'll still likely find this Cuarón production appealing enough to satisfy the urging for a semi-artsy, screwball sports comedy.
The DVD:
Presented from Sony, Rudo y Cursi comes in the growingly popular "eco-friendly" DVD case with the poster artwork as the front cover. No promotional insets or chapter listings have been included, while the disc itself contains nothing on top aside from the film's title in black. Normally, one might ignore several of those points; however, for a disc that's close to $20 through most venues at the time of this writing, more care should have been taken towards the packaging. Spending that kind of cash on nothing more than a silver disc, an eco-friendly case, and a lack of chapter listing is a very hard bullet to take.
Video and Audio:
Though also released on Blu-ray day-and-date, Sony has presented Rudo y Cursi with an immensely satisfying 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image. It's a bit on the sun-baked side during the early Mexico outskirts scenarios and a little too drab when it enters into Mexico City, but that very well could be an intentional tactics from Cuarón for mood. Rich details and color solidity both help the image look spectacular, keeping lines sharp -- though edge enhancement can certainly be spotted -- and pixilation around contours to a minimum. Some noise can also been seen that approaches digital garbling and other sequences appear a tad on harsh, flat side, but overall this is a fine-looking effort from Sony.
A Spanish 5.1 track accompanies the strong visual treatment, staying dialogue-driven for most of the film. Very little activity travels to the rear channels, aside from several distinct blasts of Mexican music for good measure. Instead, all of the activity stands firmly rooted to the front, supporting the dialogue to very crisp levels with plenty of buoyant properties about the musical cues. Subtitles are available in drab yellow coloring, which seem to have possibly been taken from a more traditional English source -- as mentions of "bloke" and such can be seen in the translation.
Special Features:
Commentary with Carlos Cuarón, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna:
Those expecting a drab, film-school style commentary from the trio will be sorely disappointed; Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna get ramped up and take the commentary into a different realm -- by recording in character as "Rudo" and "Cursi". And yes, I'm a "jerk who sat through the stupid commentary" (you'll get it at the end of the track, if you give it a listen). It's a novelty feature, and that's about all I can say for it.
Making-of Featurette (26:50, 16x9 Letterbox):
It becomes obvious, after seeing this supplement, exactly why the trio decided to goof off during the commentary. Though only about thirty minutes, it reveals a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and quality interview time. Taking on more of a documentary feel like the expansive, explorative feature included in the two-disc edition of Babel, this piece offers just about all the answers you'll need regarding the film -- about the city, the actors, the art direction, the sport, everything. It's a very strong supplement, though it should be noted that it's not enhanced for widescreen televisions (though it looks like it should've been, gauging by the squished Spanish subtitles)
Also available are a slab of throwaway Deleted Scenes (4:43, Letterbox), a few Music Videos -- including a full-length, unmated version of Gael García Bernal's "I Want You to Want Me" video, as well as a Spanish karaoke version of it -- a Turn Off Your Cell Phone promo featuring the two leads, and a Theatrical Trailer (1:53, 16x9). Finally, tacked on at the end are a slew of Sony Previews for other products, including trailers for Tyson, Easy Virtue, and the absolutely magnificent science-fiction film, Moon.
Final Thoughts:
Rudo y Cursi is all about brotherly love, you know, torn asunder by the sport of soccer. Bernal and Luna handle the dynamic well, making for plenty of chuckle-worthy patches and bittersweet twists to this flick. But, like the characters themselves, it comes with a few issues -- notably a predictability to its framework that's striking familiar to another pro-league picture, as well as a few copycat cinematic elements about the film that feel out-of-place in this particular loony comedy. Sony's disc looks and sounds fine while carrying a few decent extras, which makes Rudo y Cursi prime for a decent Rental. It's humorous enough for one or two screenings, but will likely lose its flavor after that.
Thomas Spurlin, Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews | Personal Blog/Site
 |
Yes, that's a slightly vague synopsis on my part, but the framework still sounds deviously familiar to something else at face value. Though it imitates a film seventeen years its senior, the sappy yet sweetly satisfying A League of Their Own, it's handled in a fashion that pours over the charm from Alfonso Cuarón's intimate Mexican dramas, Y tu mamá también and Sólo con tu pareja -- both of whom have director Carlos Cuarón, Alfonso's brother, attached as writer. However, all that creates an uphill battle for the simpler-minded Rudo y Cursi, pitting familiarities against familiarities in a sports film that's amusing yet dryly unoriginal.
With the slightly snake-like agent narrating their story, we follow Beto, "Rudo" (Diego Luna), and his brother Tato "Cursi" (Gael García Bernal), as they skyrocket up the ranks in professional soccer. Rudo, a brash banana foreman with a taste for gambling, supports his family with little more in his imagination outside of becoming a soccer superstar. Cursi, however, wishes to be a singer, and only follows through with the agent's luring because of his persuasive comments about the concerts he'll eventually play as an athlete-turned-musician. Through the extraordinarily easy (and highly suspect) magic that the obnoxious agent conjures up, they both make it to the pros -- and, naturally, both of these agricultural-working, sheltered men get tossed around with the sharks in the professional league, both on and off the field.
 |  |
Carlos Cuarón's direction takes this familiar narrative about sibling rivalry and gives it a nice comedic kick. He invigorates the dynamic with natural yet harpy-like bickering in spots between Rudo and Cursi, mostly during their adrenaline-fueled antics before they're brought up to the Mexico City soccer league. Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna build their pre-sports characters adequately, making both Rudo and Cursi endearing while preserving the interplay that made their chemistry in Y tu mamá también a delight. Even as the agent stumbles into their dusty town and "makes a decision" between the two in absolutely ridiculous fashion, their banter carries the film gracefully over the hurdle between bloated family-centered explosiveness and into the professional sports ring.
Once they've become big shot soccer pros, Rudo y Cursi begins a flamboyant roll downhill. Carlos Cuarón's ample direction gradually evaporates at around the halfway point, which exposes a secondhand, cliché story framework that loses the attractive promise that was built up in the first half. It begins to go in auto-pilot, to a degree; between the one-two punch of Tato's singing career and all-to-predictable marital issues, along with Rudo's own domestic bouts revolving around gambling and martial breakdown, it transforms into a slightly amusing yet extraordinarily predictable hodgepodge of sports antics and sibling rivalry. All the satirical potshots are amusing, sure -- like the ridiculous music video Cursi records and the threatening fans reminiscent of American high-school football crazies -- but the combination of musing-like narration and unconvincingly smooth sport framework take it down a few notches.
There's clearly talent swimming around in Carlos Cuarón, both as a writer and, potentially, as a director, but Rudo y Cursi might have been too undemanding and structured of a comedy for his premiere directorial effort. The vibrant tone he sets for the film feels like a jubilant stenciling of a past picture with an overly familiar force driving it across the finish line, even while he's deftly handling the tension of the soccer field and scattering humor about for good measure. It does make us laugh though, which seems like the primary aim behind this sports flick, and somehow it's impossible to ignore its flavor of comedic timing. Though too silly and far too familiar for its own good, you'll still likely find this Cuarón production appealing enough to satisfy the urging for a semi-artsy, screwball sports comedy.
The DVD:
 |  |
Presented from Sony, Rudo y Cursi comes in the growingly popular "eco-friendly" DVD case with the poster artwork as the front cover. No promotional insets or chapter listings have been included, while the disc itself contains nothing on top aside from the film's title in black. Normally, one might ignore several of those points; however, for a disc that's close to $20 through most venues at the time of this writing, more care should have been taken towards the packaging. Spending that kind of cash on nothing more than a silver disc, an eco-friendly case, and a lack of chapter listing is a very hard bullet to take.
Video and Audio:
Though also released on Blu-ray day-and-date, Sony has presented Rudo y Cursi with an immensely satisfying 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image. It's a bit on the sun-baked side during the early Mexico outskirts scenarios and a little too drab when it enters into Mexico City, but that very well could be an intentional tactics from Cuarón for mood. Rich details and color solidity both help the image look spectacular, keeping lines sharp -- though edge enhancement can certainly be spotted -- and pixilation around contours to a minimum. Some noise can also been seen that approaches digital garbling and other sequences appear a tad on harsh, flat side, but overall this is a fine-looking effort from Sony.
A Spanish 5.1 track accompanies the strong visual treatment, staying dialogue-driven for most of the film. Very little activity travels to the rear channels, aside from several distinct blasts of Mexican music for good measure. Instead, all of the activity stands firmly rooted to the front, supporting the dialogue to very crisp levels with plenty of buoyant properties about the musical cues. Subtitles are available in drab yellow coloring, which seem to have possibly been taken from a more traditional English source -- as mentions of "bloke" and such can be seen in the translation.
Special Features:
Commentary with Carlos Cuarón, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna:
Those expecting a drab, film-school style commentary from the trio will be sorely disappointed; Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna get ramped up and take the commentary into a different realm -- by recording in character as "Rudo" and "Cursi". And yes, I'm a "jerk who sat through the stupid commentary" (you'll get it at the end of the track, if you give it a listen). It's a novelty feature, and that's about all I can say for it.
Making-of Featurette (26:50, 16x9 Letterbox): It becomes obvious, after seeing this supplement, exactly why the trio decided to goof off during the commentary. Though only about thirty minutes, it reveals a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and quality interview time. Taking on more of a documentary feel like the expansive, explorative feature included in the two-disc edition of Babel, this piece offers just about all the answers you'll need regarding the film -- about the city, the actors, the art direction, the sport, everything. It's a very strong supplement, though it should be noted that it's not enhanced for widescreen televisions (though it looks like it should've been, gauging by the squished Spanish subtitles)
Also available are a slab of throwaway Deleted Scenes (4:43, Letterbox), a few Music Videos -- including a full-length, unmated version of Gael García Bernal's "I Want You to Want Me" video, as well as a Spanish karaoke version of it -- a Turn Off Your Cell Phone promo featuring the two leads, and a Theatrical Trailer (1:53, 16x9). Finally, tacked on at the end are a slew of Sony Previews for other products, including trailers for Tyson, Easy Virtue, and the absolutely magnificent science-fiction film, Moon.
Final Thoughts:
Rudo y Cursi is all about brotherly love, you know, torn asunder by the sport of soccer. Bernal and Luna handle the dynamic well, making for plenty of chuckle-worthy patches and bittersweet twists to this flick. But, like the characters themselves, it comes with a few issues -- notably a predictability to its framework that's striking familiar to another pro-league picture, as well as a few copycat cinematic elements about the film that feel out-of-place in this particular loony comedy. Sony's disc looks and sounds fine while carrying a few decent extras, which makes Rudo y Cursi prime for a decent Rental. It's humorous enough for one or two screenings, but will likely lose its flavor after that.
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