It was only a matter of time until Saúl Armendáriz, the man behind the famous luchador Cassandro, got the biopic treatment. Director Roger Ross Williams, who co-wrote the screenplay with David Teague, jumps into the biopic arena with Cassandro to pay tribute to the flamboyant trailblazer, with Gael García Bernal strutting towards massive awards consideration.
Cassandro follows Armendáriz (García Bernal), a lucha libre wrestler who rises to prominence when he switches from traditional uber-masculine luchador to fighting as an exotico, a male drag wrestler. With the help of his trainer Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez) and the support of his family and loved ones, Armendáriz rises to fame.
As dynamic, flashy, and flamboyant as Cassandro is, the biopic about him is a bit more tame. While Williams does well to capture the light of the imminents from Cassandro when he is in the ring and the passion Armendáriz imbues in his character, the film owes a great deal more to García Bernal’s committed performance. Williams’ directing is a tad bit too formulaic and expected than it is interesting and fiery. Cassandro chugs along at a decent pace, never delving deeper into the emotional notes or engaging with this cultural phenomenon’s fun side.
The story juggles quite a bit, from Armendáriz’s sexuality, and the family dynamics that shift as he explores his queerness through his life and art, to his struggle with cultural identity, having been born in the United States but returning to his Mexican roots with wrestling. The themes of the narrative are not very subtle, but there is a lack of commitment to tying many of the elements that make Cassandro the icon he is. These aspects of Armendáriz’s life are just pieces of a bigger picture that the film never entirely completes.
Regardless of the lackluster directing and the simplistic writing, Cassandro is only worth discussing because of the heart of the project — García Bernal. He is an actor who is constantly challenging himself and seeking projects that reveal new layers of who he is as a person and artist. As an actor, you can see how deeply García Bernal resonates with Armendáriz, giving a performance that is filled with heart and admiration. The enormity of the story is not lost on García Bernal, who infuses his character and, by extension, the whole film with urgency and respect. His sincerity is what makes Cassandro a worthwhile venture.
The biopic is not a knockout win, but it is very entertaining, largely due to the fantastic performances from García Bernal and the ensemble cast. Bad Bunny makes for a delightful treat as he further explores this new avenue of art, and Roberta Colindrez may be in a relatively subdued role, but her innate charisma is enough to pull you in, as well as guide you to her previous work, which deserves tons of recognition. Raúl Castillo is an exemplary co-star with a strong performance that complements García Bernal’s portrayal.
Armendáriz created a larger-than-life character that demanded an equally audacious and imaginative biopic, but the toned-down traditional biopic treatment does have its benefits. Although Cassandro was not the type to care about alienating people, the film about him is concerned with being easily accessible, and that does allow for more people to discover this story. Ultimately, Cassandro is a touching tale of a remarkable person who paved the path for others to find liberation and acceptance through their chosen art.
Cassandro opened in select theaters on September 15 and begins streaming on Prime Video September 22. It is 107 minutes long and rated R for language, drug use and sexual content.
