Cassandro
September 14th, 2023
MOVIE: CASSANDRO
STARRING: GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL, ROBERTA COLINDREZ, PERLA DE LA ROSA, RAÚL CASTILLO
DIRECTED BY: ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
When you look at WWE or Lucha Libre wrestling, you notice that it is a flamboyant, and often erotic kind of entertainment. Men and women, wearing very little clothing and wrestling around with one another, could be the only form of “entertainment” where bare bodies smack together, except for Sumo wrestling. But in the world of Mexican Wrestling, instead of heroes and villains the likes of Hulk Hogan or Andre the Giant, there are heroes and exóticos. In Roger Ross Williams’ film Cassandro, he tells the story of one of the most successful exótico in the history of the “sport”, Saúl Aremendáriz. But this is more than just a story of his rise to fame, but an example of his strength to be a success, when the world refused to accept him. Cassandro is a rousing biopic and features one of the best performances of 2023 from Gael García Bernal.
As far as knowledge about Lucha Libre, I have none, but I grew up a massive fan of WWF (now WWE) wrestling. Brett ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Mr. Perfect, The Ultimate Warrior, and Macho Man Randy Savage, were my favorites. Today, I could care less, but hearing the story of Saúl ‘Cassandro’ is an inspiration, he was born in EL Paso, Texas, and would cross the border at Juarez, Mexico to wrestle in underground, lesser-known matches. There is no hiding in the narrative that Cassandro was a gay man, where he began as a low-level wrestler, with no identity, or charisma in a ring. Something had to change and when he meets his new trainer Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez) he begins to see his power as an exótico who wins.
The way this biopic is told is relatively straightforward and similar to last week’s A Million Miles Away, I was won over by its honesty. That is because the screenplay by David Teague and Williams hits the right storytelling spots, focusing on the relationships that Saúl had, while making the wrestling secondary. His mother Yocasta (Perla De La Rosa) is his reason for living; the two have a healthy-unhealthy relationship. There is love and care, plus a constant sensitivity due to Cassandro’s father abandoning them. He was a married man with kids, someone Yocasta could not forget, even if he was embarrassed to admit Saúl was his own. It’s this missing father that lingers over Cassandro’s career because he introduced him to Lucha Libre. He’s the reason why he loves to wrestle, yet a reason why he feels constant shame. His emotions are tossed around the ring of life.
Those broken relationships also transfer into Saúl’s love life with Gerardo (Raúl Castillo). He is married, unwilling to leave his wife, or admit his love for another man. This breaks Cassandro’s heart but he channels it into his career. Although we briefly see the toll wrestling can take on his body, it’s also evident that drugs and alcohol would begin to be an issue, but finding the light could never stop Cassandro. His will was stronger than many.
It is the final scenes of Cassandro that bring the story home, where it builds up to his first major match in Mexico City, along with the fear that a hangover will stop him from performing. But it is the resolutions that Cassandro can make with his family that will win audiences over. I was shocked at how subtle and reserved Gael García Bernal becomes midway through, carrying his performance with an effortless grace. Never overdoing it, never underselling it, and always believable as the flamboyant wrestler. Cassandro soars from the top rope and lands an emotional flying elbow to the audience’s midsection.
CASSANDRO IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS AND AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2023.
3 STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
leo@amovieguy.com
