Available on Prime Video, the film “Cassandro” features Gael García Bernal in a biopic centered on Saúl Armendáriz, a famous gay wrestler.
Five years after being the subject of a documentary, Saúl Armendáriz is now the subject of a biopic, Cassandro. It must be said that there is a lot to tell about this openly gay international wrestling star. In the ring, he becomes Cassandro el Exótico, his extraordinary alter ego with extravagant makeup and outfits.
In the film dedicated to him, directed by documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, Gael García Bernal slips into the skin of the character. The actor has never hesitated to play queer heroes, like his role as a transgender woman in Pedro Almodóvar’s Bad Education. He plays Saúl Armendáriz with sensitivity and a particular tenderness that manifests itself on screen.
In Mexico, the main character’s country of origin, the lucha libre – specific term for Mexican wrestling – is the second most popular sport after football. This film is surprising in the way it highlights an athlete who goes against the codes of his discipline.
In wrestling, despite the tight-fitting lycra outfits which can be confusing, exaggerated masculinity is king. The very existence of Saúl Armendáriz/Cassandro and his rise, against all odds, is fascinating.
If the biopic struggles to free itself from certain pitfalls of the genre, it is worth the detour for the delicate interpretation of its main star and the colorful portrait reserved for this flamboyant star of the ring.
Cassandro is available on Prime Video.