Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer.
This film is marketed as being from the creators of "Y Tu Mama Tambien", which is not only true but very wise marketing. But let us not be fooled, this film is not on the same level, even if it looks just as good and has the same folks involved.
Aspects of it are quite good, and the Cheap trick karaoke is fairly amusing. But this rivalry of two soccer players is not very compelling. In "Mama", there was another rivalry between two young men, but that seemed more powerful. This is a situation where we feel no need to care about one or the other.
Plot summary
Mexican half-brothers Beto and Tato--who will eventually be appropriately nicknamed Rudo (rough) and Cursi (corny)--have a typical love/hate relationship. 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 brothers' 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. Batuta eventually recruits both for different teams in Mexico City. Beto's and Tato's fortunes rise and fall, the falls based on things which hold more passion for the brothers--Tato loves fast women, specifically television spokesmodel 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. Beto's passion is gambling. Although Beto is upfront and straightforward about most things, he would lie and cheat to hide his gambling problem and debts. They just need to keep these alternate passions in check to make their soccer lives lucrative ones.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Diego Luna as Beto
Gael García Bernal as Tato
Pedro De Tavira as Chavo Hipódromo 1
Guillermo Francella as Batuta
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 934.96 MB
1280*714
Spanish 2.0
R
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
Carlos Cuaron Strikes!
Reviewed by
lost in translation
Tato (Gael Garcia) is a striker and Beto (Diego Luna) is the goalkeeper of a small Mexican town football club. They're half-brothers working at a banana plantation. Their extended family scratches out a living until a soccer scout spots their play. There is one spot on a premier club and the brothers decide to choose by penalty kick. The brothers eventually get on rival teams gaining success and troubles.
For me, this is another piece of evidence that comedy doesn't always translate. It's only the broadest of slapstick that is universal in terms of comedy. Language and cultural differences make it almost country-specific. I see the parts where the movie is trying to be funny. The homoerotic hazing is very broad. However, it doesn't actually get me to laugh.
Reviewed by
I thought this film had one fatal flaw.
I know some folks really like this film and I remember a few critics who seemed to love it. However, I was really disappointed in this film and was surprised by this. It's also a shame because the movie had a lot to like in it as well.
The film is about two Mexican brothers, Rudo (Diego Luna) and Tato (Gael Garcia Bernal). They both are poor and live in the countryside. Tato has dreams of being a pop singer and Rudo has dreams of....well, he didn't seem to have any when the film began. Both of these brothers also love to play soccer and one day they are observed doing this by a talent scout. The scout takes Tato to Mexico City to try to get him a job playing for a professional team and later the same is done for Rudo. Eventually, both become stars and both totally screw up their lives and the movie ends.
So what is the fatal flaw? Both brothers are idiots AND not particularly likable. Rudo has a SERIOUS anger-control problem and is self-destructive with his gambling habits. Tato (soon nicknamed Cursi) is just a complete moron and is also a screw-up like Rudo. So why should I care about these two jerks?! Well, I didn't. And that makes the ending so incredibly anticlimactic and unnecessary.