Rudo & Cursi

I was really curious to watch the first production of Cha Cha Chá Films, the production company of famous triumvirate Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñarritu and Alfonso Cuarón; directed by none other that Cuarón’s brother Carlos who’s the screenplay writer of Y Tu Mamá También and starring this film actors’ Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. A movie with this pedigree of great contemporary Mexican filmmakers and actors had to be something exceptional. Well, well… I was right in the most unexpected way.

The film tells a well-traveled story from rags-to-riches and back-to-rags, and does it in a very predictable way. But I believe this is not a movie to watch for the story, this is movie to watch for the spectacular use of humor in the most unexpected ways, starting with the so-funny accents that both Bernal and Luna do in the movie, I couldn’t believe that almost since the very beginning until the very end I was laughing and laughing and please remember that I have a very dark sense of humor and this is no dark humor, but simply dumb/dumber kind of humor; but is so masterfully interpreted by Bernal and Luna that I simply succumbed and couldn’t stop laughing.

Okay the movie is uneven, there are some moments that are not funny and you’ll notice them sharply as the funny moments are so great, but you’ll keep watching waiting for the next dumb/dumber thing these two characters will do. Then the dialogues are full of cursing Mexican style and definitively I do not like cursing, but here it felt so natural and essential that was outstandingly funny. Gosh, did I laugh even for the most stupid things they say.

Honestly never expected a comedy from all the so-famous filmmakers and actors, much less a comedy that could make me laugh; but I really wonder if audiences that do not understand Spanish will get this humor style, as I definitively think that this is a movie that will lose a lot in translation. So, whoever does translations has a truly difficult task if they want to preserve the spectacular humor and if you read some of the few English language reviews that are starting to appear, you will notice that most reviewers didn’t really got the story and less the humor.

The movie is just starting to ride the fest circuit and is being screened in 2009 Sundance and who knows if will travel further, but I imagine that the huge box office success the film had in Mexico, could be replicated only in Spanish speaking countries. By the way the movie as a movie looks and feels rough, but I totally believe that’s done on purpose to make more noticeable and relevant the construction of the comic moment; so there is not really anything visually outstanding as definitively could have been distracting from the humor situations.

Definitively is the first and ONLY (up-to-date) comedy from Mexico that truly has made me laugh and I’m sure will make others laugh, but for the first time I’m unsure if I should recommend or not this movie, as humor is so personal and my experience is that what I like in the comedy genre, not many others like… so, is risky. But one thing is sure, if you like and get this kind of humor you will laugh a lot.

Definitively I’m not used to review non-dark comedies, so if you decide to watch this movie will not be because I motivated you… lol!

Enjoy!!!