Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Saul Armendariz in “Cassandro.” Photograph courtesy of Sundance Institute
Jan. 30 (UPI) — One needn’t be a wrestling fan to take pleasure in Cassandro, which premiered on the Sundance Movie Pageant. The biopic of Saul Armendariz is accessible and endearing for anybody.
Saul (Gael Garcia Bernal) wrestled because the masked luchador El Topo, however he most popular to be the unmasked “exotico” Cassandro. Exoticos wrestled in girls’s clothes.
Saul made a fancy dress and developed his Cassandro persona within the ring. He made nice strides for the LGBTQ group within the business and as a task mannequin.
Earlier than Cassandro, exoticos had been anticipated to lose to the manly luchadors. Followers within the viewers would scream the F phrase at them.
Cassandro would not magically win over all homophobes by the top of the film, however he makes progress. The movie reveals the demonstrable distinction Cassandro made for homosexual visibility, and galvanizing followers who had no different function mannequin making them really feel they may come out.
Like all sports activities film, Cassandro reveals how Saul skilled with Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez), who wrestled herself as Woman Anarquia. Saul sketches his Cassandro costume after which brings it to life in cloth.
Cassandro depicts the showmanship Saul delivered to the ring. That is pure pleasure on Bernal’s face, and he is additionally flipping and somersaulting himself.
Cassandro turned the primary exotico to win a match simply because any individual had imaginative and prescient. Saul advised it however it was when a promoter noticed the viewers responding to Cassandro that he put cash behind it.
After all, cash wasn’t sufficient for some luchadors to comply with lose to Cassandro, however it solely took one who was sport to go together with this new route within the story.
The movie reveals Saul taking injections, and typically cocaine, however doesn’t dwell on the impression of medicine. Saul’s relationship along with his mom (Perla De La Rosa) stays essential in his life too
Saul additionally has a romantic relationship with opponent Gerardo (Raul Castillo), who’s married to a girl and has children. Not all the pieces goes the way in which Saul hopes. There was nonetheless extra progress to be made for homosexual males to be out and supported in society, and there nonetheless is.
The movie mixes equal elements Spanish and English. Luchadors like Gigantico and Son of Santo play themselves, although by no means take away their masks, displaying they nonetheless have nice love for Cassandro.
Cassandro is an inspiring true story that makes a really particular business a common underdog story. It depicts the hardships too, however total Cassandro has a contented ending.
Prime Video will launch Cassandro in 2023.
Fred Topel, who attended movie faculty at Ithaca School, is a UPI leisure author based mostly in Los Angeles. He has been knowledgeable movie critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001 and a member of the Tv Critics Affiliation since 2012. Learn extra of his work in Leisure.