Two movies. Both sports themed. Both sports posing as metaphors for fame and fortune. Two very different interpretations of athletes. And I loved both of them for very different reasons.
Rudo y Cursi has been on my radar since Sundance and with the Three Amigos as producers and the writer of y tu mama tambien in tow, I was expecting some kind of human drama with a soccer background. Instead, Carlos Cuaron has delivered an immensely fun and light fable of two brothers who both make it to the top of Mexican soccer and end up in a do or die game at the end of the movie. This movie does not take itself seriously and I love it for it. Luna and Bernal exude an excellent energy and chemistry together as usual and convey the right amount of wacky and fun that is needed for a fun movie like this. Sure the metaphor of soccer and rivalry and pleasing one's mother is completely bogus, but it still resonates despite the ridicule. A typical rise and fall with a brotherly twist, Rudo and Cursi both entertain and, ultimately, pay for their idiotic actions in life.
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, the titular figure of Sugar makes it no where near the top of his sport. Several time during the movie, you expect him to finally pick up his game and make it to the majors. Instead, reality hits. He simply does not have enough talent for the big times. As he watches his aging friend get black balled because of his diminishing skills, the reality sets in that he has to quit the game he used to love in order to think about the future. As an opposition to the other movie in this post, Sugar makes it clear that sport does not make a life but rather distracts one from the reality of it. Filled to the brim with genuine pathos, I left the theater concerned about Sugar's life ahead and the lives of many immigrants struggling in the United States.
Rudo y Cursi: B-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Most Ridiculous Moment: They shot his leg off!
Best Use of a Song: "I Want You to Want Me" as performed by Gael Garcia Bernal
Sugar: B
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