Kick It - Zwei wie Feuer und Wasser (2008)

Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer.

Director:

Carlos Cuarón

Writer:

Carlos Cuarón (screenplay)

Stars:

Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gael García Bernal	...	Tato
Diego Luna	...	Beto
Guillermo Francella	...	Batuta
Dolores Heredia	...	Elvira
Adriana Paz	...	Toña
Jessica Mas	...	Maya
Salvador Zerboni	...	Jorge W
Tania Esmeralda Aguilar	...	Nadia
Joaquín Cosio	...	Arnulfo
Alfredo Alfonso	...	Don Casimiro
Fermín Martínez	...	DT Obdulio
Eduardo Von	...	DT Bruno López
Axel Ricco	...	Mena
Harold Torres	...	Trompo Tovar
Gabino Rodríguez	...	Mafafo

Storyline

Mexican half brothers Beto and Tato - who will eventually be appropriately nicknamed Rudo (rough) and Cursi (corny), respectively - have a typical love/hate relationship with each other. 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 brother's 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 on his mind. Batuta eventually recruits both for different teams in Mexico City. Beto and Tato's fortunes rise and fall, the falls based on those things which hold more passion for the brothers. For Tato, he loves fast women, specifically television ...

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Plot Keywords:

soccer | gambling | mexican | banana | mexico city | 

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Taglines:

La Vida es Un Volado

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

Mexico USA

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

15 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kick It - Zwei wie Feuer und Wasser

Filming Locations:

Cihuatlan, Mexico

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$211,460 (USA) (8 May 2009)

Gross:

$1,826,674 (USA) (21 August 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features International (FFI), Universal International Pictures (UI), Canana Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final soccer game was filmed in the Nemesio Diez Stadium, home of Toluca, a Mexican 1st soccer division team,

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Quotes

Jorge W: Catch me up Rudo, it's not me, I'm just the executive, I lead the operation, it's just that they want their money, that's obvious.
Beto: Well, tell them to rise my credit.
Jorge W: I swear you man, I'm really ashamed but that's impossible. You got a Tsunami like debt, dude.
Beto: I can over pay them if they want, just give me more time, please.
Jorge W: No Rudo, I'd love to but I really can't
[Asks a Market Attendant]
Jorge W: Excuse me, you got Pampers Ultra Supreme?
[the attendant says no]
Jorge W: Shiiit! Look Rudo, you ain't got a limit, ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Star Trek/Rudo y Cursi/Next Day Air (2009)

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Soundtracks

Mi amor Contiki
Written by José Stephens
Performed by The Mangos
Courtesy of Futura Ediciones Musicales (Fem) and Musicomedia, SC

User Reviews

Highly Entertaining Rag to Riches Mexican Football Tale

The history of the peasant or working class young man who rises to the top in the world of sports or entertainment only to fall due to betrayal and/or addiction has been told many times before, but this movie from the team of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" feels new and dynamic. Compelling, funny, insightful, fast-paced, philosophical, moving, this tale of two brothers who are able to leave their banana-picker job to become major league football stars in Mexico City is fresh and exciting.

With a vibrant cinematography, an unflinching look at the Mexican realities of the marginally-living rural laborer class and the world of professional football with its egos, deals, and fame, we are presented with a large incisive, ironic slice of Mexican life. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna as usual disappear into their roles this time as the competing brothers who are not prepared to hit the big time. Poverty, machismo, football fanaticism, gambling, sex, cocaine, family problems, shady people are shown as colorful and obscene as the language used by characters. The scenes are fluid and entertaining; it may be a drama but it is also a fun comedy and totally life-affirming. To top it all, there is a great music video with Garcia Bernal doing Van Halen's "I Want you to Want me" as a ranchera in Spanish. In the end, the movie even at 103 minutes feels perhaps too brief leaving one wishing for more.

"Rudo y Cursi" reaffirms the talents of director Carlos Cuaron, Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna.