Review: 'Rudo y Cursi'

A rags-to-riches-and-back-to-rags tale of two soccer-playing Mexican brothers spotted by a talent scout.

The matchup of actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna was shown to best advantage in "Y Tu Mamá También," which was co-written by Carlos Cuarón. For his directorial debut, "Rudo y Cursi," he brings the actors together again. The results are not nearly as auspicious as that other film, but Bernal and Luna are so good together that they carry the day anyway. They play not-too-bright brothers on a Mexican banana ranch who improbably get a shot at big-time soccer glory. The rags-to-riches-to-rags trajectory is shopworn, but the sibling rivalries are cantankerous and goofy and Bernal's Tato, who fancies himself a pop singing star, wouldn't make the first cut on "American Idol." Grade: B (Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, and brief drug use.)