VoML Postfilm Mini-Report: Rudo y Cursi (2008)

TOP BILLED ACTORS
Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella, Dolores Heredia, Adriana Paz, Jessica Mas, Salvador Zerboni, Tania Esmeralda Aguilar

DIRECTOR
Carlos Cuaron

3 MAJOR THEMES

1. Sibling Rivalry
   
2. Living the Dream
   
3. More Money, More Problems
   

BREAKDOWN
While Rudo y Cursi was directed by Carlos Cuaron, whose brother Alfonso helmed the great Y Tu Mama Tambien which also starred Bernal and Luna, the two movies are markedly different. Rivalry is a theme throughout both but in this film the two play brothers, Tato and Beto, who work on a banana farm and dream of success in their respective passions, singing and gambling. The two are also very adept soccer players and are discovered by a scout while playing a local league game. Their skill as soccer players and instant celebrity provides them an opportunity to pursue their true passion, but may also come with harsh realities for both.

The film was enjoyable, mostly because of the chemistry and overall likeability of the two leads. It's a little funny to think that people with the physical builds of Luna and Bernal could succeed as world class athletes but the film at first does a good job of showing reaction shots of fans rather than the actual plays the two make. When action scenes are finally shown, they are more comical than anything (see Tato's celebration dance) but I suspect they were meant to be that way. The ending was tense and kept me guessing the entire time. I would say that this is a must see for fans of the two leads but also enjoyable for fans of film in general.

I WILL GIVE…-PSon

VoML Movie Report: Gomorrah (2008)

TOP BILLED ACTORS
Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Salvatore Cantalupo, Gigio Morra, Salvatore Abruzzese, Marco Macor, Ciro Petrone, Carmine Paternoster

DIRECTOR
Matteo Garrone

5 MAJOR THEMES

1. Ascension
2. Fear
3. Obedience
4. Sacrifice
5. War
   
   

3 POSITIVES

• This film follows 5 unconnected (or mildly connected) characters or groups of characters and displays how their lives are touched and changed by the Camorra, a violent and highly entrepreneurial crime syndicate prevalent in the Campania region of Italy. By doing this, the filmmaker effectively illustrates how tight a grip the Camorra holds on vastly different members of society. Every one of the 5 characters (or groups) makes a sacrifice. Compliance means somebody else may lose their life, non-compliance means risking their own life or that of somebody they love.
  
• The camera work was excellent; the gritty subject material called for gritty shots. The framing is brilliant because at the director wants to give us enough information to sustain us but still keep us guessing as to the danger lurking outside the frame. Sometimes we see a character’s facial expression in the instant they see their fate, while other times we are given enough to know their fate and we wait for impending doom.
• The characters of Marco, Ciro (both pictured above), and Toto (part of a different story line) underscored the hard reality that children growing up in this atmosphere are going to idolize the people around them. The people they look up to are probably gangsters which means that they will take the first opportunity they see to prove themselves a worthy soldier. There are a few scenes where young characters realize the extent of the consequences to playing the game. Decisions are made and orders are executed without fail; staying under the radar might be the only way to stay alive.

3 NEGATIVES

• The film begins slowly, taking its time to introduce characters (and there are a lot). The first scene sets a tone that the viewer is probably going to be in for a lot of violence and backstabbing, then the following 20 minutes or so are pretty much just character building scenes. It can be confusing, but I love this part because it allows the filmmaker to give us pieces of information that will eventually be fit together in one way or another. It makes it not just about the story but also how the director weaves the tale for maximum effect.
• This movie is extremely hard hitting so if you have a problem with violence in general, you may not like this one. While brutal, the story is interesting and it needed to be told the way it was told.
• This is not a movie you can put on while doing something else (not sure why you would do that anyway). Because it has multiple plotlines and employs subtitles, it requires every ounce of attention. I found it hard to tell who was on whose side for much of the film which works well given the horizontal structure the Camorra is notorious for. Within one city, multiple bands compete for turf and even childhood friends that grew up in the same building could end up on different sides of a turf war.

BEST PERFORMANCE
There were a lot of great performances but Gianfelice Imparato was excellent as the fearful money man, Don Ciro.

MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMANCE
Salvatore Cantalupo as Pasquale the dress maker.

FAVORITE SCENE
Don Ciro leaves the scene of a multiple homicide. We don't see the murders (save the one committed in front of him) but we see an close aerial shot of him walking through the massacre and over bodies as he flees the area.

HEY, IT'S THAT GUY...
I did not recognize any of the actors in this film.

REMINDED ME OF...
The Departed, The Godfather

SEE ALSO...
City of God, Layer Cake

WOULD I PURCHASE IT? Yes

WOULD I WATCH IT IF I CAME ACROSS IT ON CABLE? Yes

I WILL GIVE…

-PSon