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Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella, Salvador Zerboni, Tania Esmeralda Aguilar ... see more see more... , Joaquín Cosio , Alfredo Alfonso , Fermín Martínez , Eduardo Von , Axel Ricco , Harold Torres , Gabino Rodriguez , Alexander Dasilva , Armando Hernandez , Alexandré Barceló , Jorge Mondragon , Enoc Leano

Carlos Cuarón, who co-wrote the script for his brother Alfonso Cuarón's breakthrough hit, Y Tu Mamá También, makes his feature directorial debut with Rudo y Cursi. The film also reunites the stars of ... read more read more...the earlier film, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, and is the first release from the production company Alfonso started with Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cha Cha Chá. Rudo y Cursi depicts the changing relationship between two brothers who become soccer stars. Beto (Luna), the goaltender, is nicknamed "Rudo" because of his hard-nosed style of play, while Tato (Bernal), a forward, gets the nickname "Cursi" for his flamboyant goal celebrations and his flashy lifestyle. They both start out picking bananas in remote Tlachatlán, where they share a devotion to their mother. Then Batuta (Argentinean comic Guillermo Francella), a charmingly shiftless professional scout, happens by. He can only sign one of the brothers, so they battle it out on the pitch to see who gets his break. Instead of throwing the match to his brother as plan, Tato scores a goal and is on his way to stardom. He's more interested in becoming a pop star than a soccer star, but when he meets Maya (Jessica Mas), a famous TV hostess he's dreamed about for years, he begins to enjoy the trappings of fame. Meanwhile, resentful Beto waits for his chance. When he finally gets his break, he leaves his disapproving wife, Toña (Adriana Paz), and his kids to sneak off to Mexico City. The brothers' fortunes rise and fall, with Tato distracted by a demanding girlfriend and a hopeless singing career, while Beto deals with marital strife and a serious gambling problem. Rudo y Cursi had its New York Premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Flixster Users

62% liked it

18,677 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

108 critics

R, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Carlos Cuarón

Release Date: May 8, 2009

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DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009

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Stats: 887 reviews

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Rudo y Cursi Tato "El Cursi" Verduzco Gael Garcia Bernal RUDO Y CURSI Rudo y Cursi Rudo y Cursi
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Flixster Reviews (887)

  • bookmunki
    August 26, 2009
    bookmunki
    great to see the pairing of bernal and luna again. the sibling rivalry and bonds of brotherhood are well rendered. there are comedic bursts, but not enough to carry the film. love bernal's video ~ the funniest act in the film.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    July 15, 2009
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Super good movie! The film is just simply amazing with a great actor with Bernal; Diego Luna was just very funny and the movie gives a great message for everyone we all can learn from. The ending was just perfect and to me was the best part of the movie. It was directed Carlos Cu... read morearón and produced by himself and with colaboration with two very talented fellows also with Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and Guillermo del Toro so you can see the talent this film really has.

    Mexican half brothers Beto and Tato - who will eventually be appropriately nicknamed Rudo (rough) and Cursi (corny), respectively - have a typical love/hate relationship with each other. They both work on a banana plantation and live with their extended family consisting of their mother, abusive stepfather, sister Nadia, and Beto's wife Toña and their children. The family are rural peasant class and are barely making ends meet. The brother's fortunes change when into their lives comes Batuta, a soccer scout. Despite their advancing ages, both Beto and Tato are naturally gifted at soccer, Beto as a goaltender and Tato as a striker. Playing professionally has always been Beto's dream, although Tato has other professional thoughts on his mind. Batuta eventually recruits both for different teams in Mexico City. Beto and Tato's fortunes rise and fall, the falls based on those things which hold more passion for the brothers. For Tato, he loves fast women, specifically television spokes-model Maya, but he loves singing even more. He would give up his soccer career for one in Mexican country singing, if only he was any good at it. For Beto, his passion is gambling. Although Beto is up front and straightforward about most things in life, he would lie and cheat to hide his gambling problem and debts. They just have to keep these alternate passions in check to make their soccer lives lucrative ones.
  • fernandorafael
    December 20, 2008
    fernandorafael
    A funny, but very unrealistic rags-to-riches story.

    It's entertaining, but not much more. I don't like to compare, especially between siblings, but Carlos Cuarón doesn't have the talent his brother Alfonso has for directing and writing.

    There are a lot of plot holes, and fe... read morew truly funny moments. Cuaron's writing style is very unsophisticated. It's a shame to see Mexico's "dynamic duo", Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna almost gone to waste in RUDO Y CURSI, even though they managed to give decent performances.
  • gator681
    July 24, 2010
    gator681
    In "Rudo Y Cursi," Tato(Gael Garcia Bernal) and Beto(Diego Luna) are half brothers who work on a banana plantation and love to play soccer in their free time. While Beto is the responsible manager with a wife(Adriana Paz) and kids, Tato dreams of becoming a musician and possibly... read more going north to Texas. One day on the way to a friendly soccer game, they encounter Baton(Guillermo Francella), a soccer scout, whose flashy red sports car has broken down. After watching the game and being duly impressed, he claims he can only take one brother with him back to Mexico City. Tato wins on a penalty kick with a bit of guile. Once he is settled on a team, he finds a place for his brother on a second division club.

    "Rudo Y Cursi" is an engaging enough movie that suffers from a lack of credulity in its story arc with the brothers having little trouble in their rise to fame and the tone is more fatuous than serious, with little new insight on the nature of fame. Compare this movie to the low key "Sugar" for instance. Some of the issues in "Rudo Y Cursi" may stem from Baton's narration, embellishing certain events while deleting other details, at the same time not forgetting his role in corruption. And there is an interesting twist on the big game. In the end, the movie, like the recent World Cup, just goes to prove that some people take soccer way too seriously.
  • fb796967648
    May 15, 2009
    fb796967648
    If these guys weren't already stars, friends and charisma-vehicles, this movie wouldn't even lift off the little bit it does. Ueven in tone, all it has going for it is Bernal and Luna (not that that's nothing). They kept me there, but only by the littlest bit.
  • zeravenyoej
    May 25, 2009
    zeravenyoej
    I really like Gael Barcia Bernal, but this wasn't all that exciting. The actors have definite chemistry but the film isn't quite funny or amusing enough.
  • ricardoga211
    January 24, 2011
    ricardoga211
    The director that brought us Y Tu Mamá También (2001).A film soccer fans will love. Gael Garcia's and Diego Luna have such a strong chemistry. A story of two brothers (goalie and striker )that both want to become soccer stars.

    The story is simple two brothers play soccer in a... read more small village. A talent agent then gets them to play soccer professionally. All things are going great they got out of poverty and have the luxury of the good life ie cars, money, big house, good looking girl ect. But happiness can't last forever. Rudo has a gambling problem and Cursi can't become a musician. The movie is funny and lighthearted and tells us that we should really know what we are getting ourselves into before it's to late.

    This movie plays it safe and simple the film does feel a bit predictable when watching it. Tho that shouldn't make you stop watching the film. I have an older brother and we both love soccer so I love this film because I can relate to it. Saying this the movie is good it isn't Carlos Cuarón best work but it's still good.
  • mvieaddict
    April 22, 2010
    mvieaddict
    Rudo Y Cursi starring the talented Mexican actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna and directed by Carlos Cuaron, brother of Alfonso Cuaron who directed Y tu Mama tambien, starring these 2 boys also.Their chemistry on screen was evident from the start, and they brought life to t... read morehe two main characters Beto and Toto.The story followed the two brothers lives as they went from banana farmers to professional football players. The strength of the movie was how they became from nobodies to somebodies and how one brother could handle the fame,while the other was unable to leave behind his bad habits.Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna were excellent and I have to give credit to Argentine actor Guillermo Francella who as Batuta gave a great performance as the scout who gave the boys a taste of an unexpected life they would never have thought they could have.
  • TecmoSmokaBowl
    September 28, 2009
    TecmoSmokaBowl
    Carlos Cuaron's debut is a lot like his brother's film, Y Tu Mama Tambien. And that's not a bad thing. A great character study filled with humor and great acting.
  • divinetrash
    September 6, 2009
    divinetrash
    I know it is not a movie to be taken seriously and it's supposed to just be fun, but that's exactly my problem. I did not have fun. I did not understand what was happening most of the time because the story just kept skipping... months or years, it's never clear, and it was just ... read morenot funny. Granted, the kitsch elements every single frame bathed itself with was amusing (especially Gael Garcia's atrocious hair), but it was not enough to compensate for an otherwise dull movie. Also, the cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" was pretty hilarous ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MOVIE!!!; I thought it wasn't going to be because prior to the movie's release it would play non-stop on the radios and make my ears bleed and people would really take it seriously. I hate my country sometimes.

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Critic Reviews

Colin Covert
May 29, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Carlos Cuaron, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Y Tu Mama También, makes his directorial debut with this easygoing sports movie/family drama/musical comedy/crime story. Full Review

Steven Rea
May 29, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

[Has] a mess of cultural issues to reckon with, and Rudo y Cursi deals with them while offering an engaging rags-to-riches sports fantasy. Full Review

Roger Moore
May 29, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Bernal and Luna have great sibling comic chemistry. Full Review

Greg Quill
May 22, 2009
Greg Quill, Toronto Star

As we follow their adventures, it's impossible to ignore how poorly women come off in this story, alternatively as nags, cheats, liars and cloying opportunists. Full Review

Stephen Cole
May 22, 2009
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

Ay carumba-blimey, what a mess. Full Review

Ben Lyons
May 18, 2009
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

It's a great little sports movie. Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz
May 18, 2009
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

It was funny, it was sweet, it was warm but it never felt hacky or maudlin. Full Review

Dan Zak
May 15, 2009
Dan Zak, Washington Post

This is not a sports movie. But for lovers of Luna and Bernal, especially Luna and Bernal together, Rudo y Cursi will be a quick, harmless, caffeinated booster shot until their next collaboration. Full Review

Christy Lemire
May 15, 2009
Christy Lemire, Associated Press

While it may seem obvious which brother is responsible and which is the flake, both Rudo and Cursi are equally flawed, one of the film's realistic charms. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
May 15, 2009
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

There is plenty of coarse, macho humor. There are nearly as many moments that are goofy and sentimental. Full Review

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