Space, Balls

Reviews of the "Star Trek" reboot and Mexican sibling soccer saga "Rudo y Cursi."

The bond between Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna may not be quite as iconic as that of Kirk and Spock. But they did make an indelible impact eight years ago in Alfonso Cuaron’s “Y Tu Mamá También” as a pair of randy school chums from different sides of the tracks on a life-altering summer road trip. That movie’s blend of salty humor and bittersweet elegy has proven so durable that Bernal and Luna’s reunion in “Rudo y Cursi” as fraternal soccer stars would be considered a major event — if the movie didn’t feel, in the end, like a compendium of rags-to-riches clichés.

Written and directed by Carlos Cuarón (brother of Alfonso, with whom he co-wrote “También”), “Rudo y Cursi” takes its title from the nicknames (literally, “Tough” and “Corny”) applied respectively to Beto (Luna) and Tato (Bernal) Verdusco, brothers who work in a banana plantation and play soccer for a rural league. Beto’s a harried, volatile family man who plays goalie while what Tato really wants to do is sing bad songs even though he’s better at scoring points. They’re both scouted and recruited to play in the professional leagues, albeit in different divisions. Once they’ve hit it big, the customary temptations — Beto for gambling and cocaine, Tato for pop stardom and infatuation with a glamorous TV star (Jessica Mas) — exert the customary stresses; first on their brotherly love, and eventually on their skills.

“Rudo y Cursi”’s shaggy-dog narrative tone, reminiscent in fleeing moments of that of “También,” pulls you through even its most predictable moments. You can see the movie’s climax coming almost before the pair’s ill-fated careers get rolling. And the guys are as enjoyable to watch as they were in their earlier vehicle. Which is part of the problem: You keep thinking back on how “También” looked at the outset like a typical teen sex comedy and gently morphed into something sadder and wiser. This time, you’re set up by the rueful tone and gritty surroundings for something grander than a typical sports movie — only to end up with less than you expected, even from a typical sports movie.

Gene Seymour is our guest critic for the month of May.

“Star Trek” opens wide on May 8th; “Rudo y Cursi” opens in limited release on May 8th.

Pages: 1 2