As the Cuarón brothers took center stage at the BFI accompanied by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna after the preview screening of Rudo y Cursi, it was obvious that this group was a "band of brothers" whose close ties and unselfish support for each other meant great, if not unique, films yet to come. However, Carlos' debut feature doesn't have the poignancy nor the mystery of Alfonso's films. This is not to say that Rudo y Cursi is a bad film; it's very entertaining and well-directed. It's just no Y Tu Mamá También or Children of Men.The film revolves around two brothers, who have very different dreams, but are relentless and almost illogical at following them. Throughout their journey, they encounter a typical round of characters whose intentions are quite obvious to the viewer from the get-go. Needless to say, both Rudo and Cursi become victims of their own naiveté and end up with the reality of Mexico. This storyline feels a little bit like a soap opera however, and regardless of what the actors do, the film can't escape a soap opera feel.
It is curious that Carlos chose straight-forward story-telling for his debut feature with a narrator to boot. After all, he was the screenwriter of Y Tu Mamá También so has what it takes to write such a script where characters are relieved via actions and not narration. I guess he had a burning desire to tell the tale of what professional football means to Mexicans, but this has been brilliantly portrayed in other films from Latin America already. Interested parties need not look further than Linha de Passe.
