“I didn’t want ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien Two’”:  Carlos Cuaron Talks “Cursi” and Cha Cha Cha

indieWIRE: What originally inspired this film?

Carlos Cuaron: I first wanted to make a mockumentary about a soccer player who came from a humble background, who made it big, and when he was at the peak of his success mysteriously disappeared.  When I told this idea to Gael and Diego separately, they both wanted to be that guy.  But I had only one character, and I realized at that point that I wanted to work with both of them.  So I told them it was going to be a sibling rivalry story.  I told Gael I wanted him to play Cursi and Diego to play Rudo.  And their first reaction was no, they wanted to play the other guy.  And I told them that I didn’t want to repeat myself and make “Y Tu Mama Tambien #2” and I wanted to cast them against type.  They got it immediately and started to throw ideas at me. They’re very proactive.

iW: How did you get the project off the ground?

CC: I pitched the idea to my brother and he said great, when you have a screenplay finished, I’ll produce it.  And what do you think of Alejandro and Guillermo producing it?  They had just formed Cha Cha Cha. It was a surprise to me but I was honored.

iW: Does the bond between Rudo and Cursi parallel yours with your brother?

CC: Oh, besides the fact that we’re both idiots?  Look, brotherhood is universal and the way you relate to your siblnig is probably very close to the way I react to mine. You can have an argument and hate him and ten minutes later it’s fine. And then sometimes it’s 25 years later and it’s like, ‘Yeah, I hate you.’ That’s what brotherhood is all about. That’s what was so nice about Obama’s gesture in Tobago. Instead of making war, which is what Bush used to do, he said. ‘yeah, we don’t have to agree, but we can be friends.’

iW: With “Rudo” as the first film up from Cha Cha Cha, did it add to the pressure?

CC: I was too stupid, like a donkey following the carrot, I just wanted to make my movie. They gave me complete freedom, but were also very demanding because that’s the way they are, and that’s the way I am. They send me their scripts, we get into each other’s cutting room - so we sort of officialized the relationship with this production company. They gave me great feedback all the way.

iW: It seems you almost go out of your way not to show soccer in the movie. Why?

CC: Because it’s not a soccer movie. It’s a movie about brotherhood. Actually, I didn’t need to show soccer. If you like the game, there’s no better place than the stadium, or TV with all its cameras and slo-mo. There’s no way you can shoot that in a movie. What I show is the human emotion reacting to what’s on the field or the sportscasters narrating the game. And I only go into the field at the climactic moments of the rivalry between the two guys, because that’s what’s important.

Also, soccer is a sport that is not easy to dramatize. Baseball has pauses; between each pitch there’s something at stake. The same with American football, or boxing, the most dramatic sport. But with soccer the ball never stops, there’s no pause, no drama. The only real dramatic moment is the penalty kick. It becomes a Western duel, two guys facing each other, with destiny, a metaphorical death at stake.

iW: Did you have to teach your main actors soccer?

CC: Yes, they were such bad players. They trained for about two or three months. I wanted them to look real with the ball and the postures - also to get fit. Gael had to run a lot and the legs won’t react if you don’t have the physical capacity. I think they had a lot of fun, especially Gael. But Diego hates to be a goal keeper, so he suffered. Gael also took singing lesssons so he could control his voice enough to sing badly. He sings better in reality than the way he sings on screen.

iW: What’s it like to work with Gael and Diego?

CC: Their complicity and chemistry is something you can’t get with rehearsals. It really helps that they know each other and that we know each other so well. We know our strengths and weaknesses and each other’s moods. We could vent because that’s what you do with your siblings. But they were very respectful and knew that I had to fulfill my vision - and we shared that vision.