SummarySaúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life.
SummarySaúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life.
A heartfelt, emotional journey of finding self-acceptance and unleashing oneself through wrestling. Not an expected spectacle where all facets of life resolve itself by the final fight.
This one is a celebration of Cassandro, and like so many great sports movies before it, it’s an underdog story. But it’s one steeped in the grittiness of reality that avoids leaning too hard into easy sentimentality.
In Williams’ hands, the laughs never come at Saúl’s expense, ridiculous as this arena might seem to audiences. Luchadores are entertainers, first and foremost, and “Cassandro” celebrates that while taking Armendáriz’s achievements seriously.
The focus is on his star quality and the qualities that made him a pioneer: sunniness, grit, passion for his sport, the unconditional love and support of his mother, and his unbreakable confidence to be himself. It’s undeniably heartwarming.
García Bernal luce irreconocible en los zapatos del campeón de la lucha libre que creo una tendencia y, también se convirtió en la voz de una minoría. No está de más verla, haciendo de lado cualquier prejuicio.
É incrível como papéis de pessoas **** caem como uma luva nas mãos do Gabriel Garcia Bernal, e por mais que o filme não se aprofunde como deveria, nos pontos de entrega do nosso protagonista a gente sempre sente a emoção correta.
A obra me fez correr atrás do termo "Lucha libre" no google, e o que tava me incomodando era a sensação de que todas as lutas não passavam de uma farsa, de algo completamente fake. E não é que descobri, além do peso cultural que tem no México, que se trata justamente disso? É uma arte basicamente performática, caricata, e simulada. O "simulacro" do Bourdieau sendo televisionado, e criando ídolos imaginários e patrióticos.
Um ponto muito positivo no filme é que foge ao clichê do revachismo, uma vez que não se trata aqui de tentar superar um inimigo. Neste ponto, aplausos para o roteiro, que não precisou criar vilões como um empresário magnânimo e explorador ou um adversário quase imbatível, como filmes tal qual "Creed" vão se sustentar.
Assim, ao fazer um estudo de personagem, principalmente sua relação com a mãe, com o pai e com o namorado, e ainda sem fechar um arco narrativo de possíveis desfechos, "Cassandro" apresenta sonhos e aspirações comuns, e por um acaso é um astro de "lucha libre". Não enaltece o esporte como que endeusando-o, e muito menos oferece concessões e dramas fáceis. É um retrato humano, e talvez meio frio e arquétipo, diria até meio tom abaixo do esperado para um público LGBT.
Senti falta também de mais elementos informativos ou verídicos, mas o fato é que o filme consegue nos prender com sua trama meio novelesca, algumas cenas lindas (a luta dele com o filho do Santos, a cena na piscina com a mãe), nos faz lembrar que estamos diante de um bom cinema, com potencial sim para ser mais, entretanto, muito divertido e eficiente a que se propõe.
Gael García Bernal is marvelous as the iconic **** lucha libre icon Cassandro. Unfortunately, everything else is rather dull in this biopic. Side characters are not fully fleshed out, and the story doesn't fully explore the **** in Mexican culture. Either way, wrestling scenes are entertaining, and the soundtrack elevates some emotional moments.
Up until this film, director Roger Ross Williams had only made documentaries and it shows in his lack of imagination to give a more active setting to this chronicle, which could have lent itself to more, but he manages to pull through because the narrative itself is compelling, and Gael García Bernal fully embodies his character, which amplifies the audience's investment.
However, the screenplay falls short in capturing the true struggle Cassandro faced in becoming an exótico luchador. When it comes to that regard this biopic goes the safe and easy route to put it more practically.
Cassandro loses momentum as it approaches its climax, particularly because it doesn't adequately emphasize the significance of Cassandro's match against El Hijo del Santo, considering the legend that mask means in Lucha Libre, but for the most part it flows as well as its elements and execution allow it to.I liked it, I mean it's an extremely simplified film, but it served its purpose.
Cassandro was an "exotico" character created by a **** amateur wrestler from El Paso. Gael Garcia Bernal plays him in this cursory biopic. As opposed to many such films, this guy apparently had a pretty easy time as a **** man in the world of Mexican lucha libre. Other than a few taunts from the spectators, he basically rises thru the ranks without much effort. As a result, his bright, optimistic attitude is echoed in the style of this movie. Usually, to give any drama heft, there are setbacks to create challenges, but this just bounces along, light and fun. Bernal's continual smile is charming, but it betrays any subtext of suffering, so his performance feels surface. Cassandro is a fascinating character, but this biopic seems to skim the surface of his life.