Two outstanding young actors (Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna) with plenty of chemistry make this rather scattered Mexican indie fun to watch despite a routine storyline. Half brothers Beto (Luna) and Tato (Bernal) share a mother and a combative relationship in their small, impoverished town. Both are soccer players as well, though Tato harbors a not-so-secret longing for a singing career, seizing every opportunity to display his barely adquate vocal skills. When Tato is discovered at a local soccer field by a talent scout big changes are under way. Tato soon becomes a popular professional player, acquires a more upscale lifestyle and a new name (Cursi) and even gets the chance to make a music video. Meanwhile Beto, still living back in the small town with his wife and kids, grows more envious of his successful half brother. Wouldn't you know, they eventually end up playing soccer for competing teams with a big game on the line and the crucial play coming down to the two of them.
Writer/director Carlos Cuaron has a good feel for the hard scrabble origins of these characters, but the constant antagonism between the brothers grows tiresome, especially since neither of them is particularly appealing. Beto is brutish while Tato/Cursi, though amusing at times, quickly turns arrogant with success and begins throwing jealous tantrums over his newly acquired girlfriend (Jessica Mars) which seem completely out of character. The relationship between the brothers is developed just enough to make us care but not quite enough to elevate the muddled script into anything more than adequate. It's always fun watching actors like Luna and Bernal bounce off each other but this time their natural chemistry is weighed down by annoying characters who don't provide the excellent material they deserve. The final image of the film with the brothers on the beach together, both of them utterly changed from their beginnings, might have been more meaningful if their journey had been better delineated.
Things to love about this movie: Tato's outrageous outfits and hilarious music video; acting is uniformly excellent; gritty feel with a little edge
Things to hate about this movie: Predictable situations and problematic characters
Pleasant surprises: Not overloaded with footage of soccer
Unpleasant surprises: Not much comic relief or comraderie between the brothers
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