X
- 2023
- R
- Amazon Prime Video
- 1 h 47 m
- 2023
- R
- Amazon Prime Video
- 1 h 47 m
Summary Saúl 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.
Directed By: Roger Ross Williams
Written By: David Teague, Roger Ross Williams
- 2023
- R
- Amazon Prime Video
- 1 h 47 m
- 2023
- R
- Amazon Prime Video
- 1 h 47 m
Cassandro
76
6.3
Summary Saúl 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.
Directed By: Roger Ross Williams
Written By: David Teague, Roger Ross Williams
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
76
88% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
12% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
76
88% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
12% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Gael García Bernal is astounding in this film.
Cassandro instead is a love letter to anyone who dares to be different by being themselves in a world that truly could do with more glitter and sequins.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 User Ratings
6.3
50% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
38% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 User Ratings
6.3
50% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
38% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
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.
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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.
Seasoned documentarian Roger Ross Williams, who profiled Armendáriz in 2016 for the Amazon series The New Yorker Presents, makes an assured transition into narrative features with this entertaining biopic, which doubles as a gorgeous depiction of mother-son love and an exhilarating exploration of fearless queer identity in a macho environment.
The story is so sensational that you almost wish Cassandro was instead a feature-length documentary.
All this sporting entertainment turns out to be an unexpectedly mellow affair of the heart, with Bernal completely winning you over.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Awards
Astra Film Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
CinEuphoria Awards
• 2 Nominations
Women Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Nomination
