262. Cassandro; movie review

 

CASSANDRO

Cert 15

107 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, drug misuse, sex, homophobia

Three years ago, I suffered a documentary about Cassandro, the self-proclaimed king of the Exóticos, the transvestite Mexican wrestlers who defy the sport's macho image.

I was negative about the film, rather than its subject matter, because it was so poorly directed and, frankly, a bit repetitive.

In the hands of Roger Russ Williams with the terrific Gael García Bernal in the title role, the cinematic experience was much more satisfying.

That said, this biopic does miss out on some of the more difficult and unsavoury aspects of Cassandro's life.

It charts the rise of the wrestler from the late 1980s when plain Saúl Armendáriz crosses the border to fight in low-key lucha libre bouts.

His name is El Topo and he is known only for being the makeweight of bigger and more popular fighters.

However, his life changes when a female wrestler (Roberta Colindrez) offers to train him to be more competitive and suggests he should compete as an exotico.

As Cassandro, he gains more success in the ring while attracting an army of fans.

Williams's movie examines his duel personality - a flamboyant showman in the ring is a sensitive mummy's boy out of it.

Bernal is exceptional in both aspects and Perla De La Rosa gives resounding support as Cassandro's mum.

And the wrestling scenes are realistic because professionals were hired for the movie.

However, although I enjoyed Cassandro, I have not marked it higher because it misses out key moments in his life.

Reasons to watch: Bernal is terrific

Reasons to avoid: Misses out some significant moments in Cssandro's life

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? In the 1940s, the first exóticos were seen in the history of lucha libre wrestling. Initially, the category of exóticos was formed as simply an act for entertainment and did not reflect the life of any luchador. The first openly gay exóticos emerged in the 1980s.

The final word. Roger Ross Williams: "Authenticity was so important to me, probably because I'm a documentarian. I immediately made the decision that I wanted all real luchadores, even if they’re not playing their real-life characters. It was so fun casting them!" Them

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