September 15, 2023
FILM: CASSANDRO
DIRECTED BY: ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS
STARRING: GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, ROBERTA COLINDREZ, PERLA DE LA ROSA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The new film Cassandro is based on a true story of a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, Texas. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Saul who first fights in the ring as masked “El Topo.” His success over the border in Mexico is slim but his dreams are much bigger. He lives with his mother in a very small, modest home but has high hopes of affording a house that is for sale in a more affluent neighborhood. Saul’s wrestling aspirations involve becoming an “exotico” which is a flamboyant, unmasked performer fighting in the ring. He’s always been fascinated by his mother’s flashy clothes and make-up and strives to incorporate it into his work. Are his dreams too high though?
The thematic thread running through the film is the importance of being who you are. Saul, like other characters in the film, has more than one persona. He’s El Topo, Saul, but wants to be Cassandro, who is free-spirited and uninhibited. He’s Mexican but lives in the U.S. He has a boyfriend, Gerardo, who is married to a woman. Gerardo’s private time with Saul remains hidden from the rest of the world. Saul blossoms though as Cassandro, donning full costumes and heavy make-up. He’s not cross-dressing per se, rather he reflects a non-binary persona that eschews any hint at conventionality. Mom is a bit harder to read. She seems like a very loving mother who dresses up at night as if she is going out on the town. Is she a prostitute or do the outfits make her feel more like her younger self?
These ideas are fairly well-developed but the characters and their backgrounds along with the plot could use more depth. We learn that Saul didn’t have a good relationship with his father who is, for the most part, out of the picture. It’s unclear what kind of connection Saul’s mother has had with him though. We don’t know how long they’ve been apart. We also don’t know much about Saul’s sexual and relationship life as he has been out of the closet for some twenty years when the film begins.
Perhaps because this is based on a true story there are a lot of plot elements that aren’t given enough time to develop. Saul’s rise to fame as Cassandro happens a bit too quickly. One minute he’s referred to as “faggot” by stadium goers and then he becomes nationally famous. As such, his struggle doesn’t feel as rough as it should be to build a sense of drama. When the conflict does arrive, it tends to be associated with the other characters in his world.
There’s no denying though that Gael Garcia Bernal gives a highly skilled performance as Saul/El Topo/Cassandro. With dyed blonde hair and some solid muscle, his small, physical presence would seem to be a bit overwhelmed by the guys with whom he wrestles but what the actor pulls off is quite impressive. Clearly, he trained to be in the ring as he performs most of his own stunts. It’s a highly physical role that he masters. Perla De La Rosa is very good as Saul’s mother and the smaller parts by the always good Raul Castillo (as Gerardo) and even Bad Bunny as Felipe are nicely directed and performed.
Much of the film is dark, reflecting the seedy world of amateur wrestling, cocaine, and hidden sexual activities. It’s an appropriate look but does become a bit tiresome after a while. Yes, there are brighter scenes reflecting some of Saul’s dreams but they aren’t as plentiful.
Cassandro is a fairly well-accomplished film with a script that may be trying to do too much in a short period of time. Mostly, it’s worth seeing for Bernal.
Cassandro opens in limited release this week. In Chicago, it is being screened at Landmark Century Centre Cinema. It will then be available for streaming on Amazon Prime beginning September 22nd.
FILM: CASSANDRO
DIRECTED BY: ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS
STARRING: GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, ROBERTA COLINDREZ, PERLA DE LA ROSA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The new film Cassandro is based on a true story of a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, Texas. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Saul who first fights in the ring as masked “El Topo.” His success over the border in Mexico is slim but his dreams are much bigger. He lives with his mother in a very small, modest home but has high hopes of affording a house that is for sale in a more affluent neighborhood. Saul’s wrestling aspirations involve becoming an “exotico” which is a flamboyant, unmasked performer fighting in the ring. He’s always been fascinated by his mother’s flashy clothes and make-up and strives to incorporate it into his work. Are his dreams too high though?
The thematic thread running through the film is the importance of being who you are. Saul, like other characters in the film, has more than one persona. He’s El Topo, Saul, but wants to be Cassandro, who is free-spirited and uninhibited. He’s Mexican but lives in the U.S. He has a boyfriend, Gerardo, who is married to a woman. Gerardo’s private time with Saul remains hidden from the rest of the world. Saul blossoms though as Cassandro, donning full costumes and heavy make-up. He’s not cross-dressing per se, rather he reflects a non-binary persona that eschews any hint at conventionality. Mom is a bit harder to read. She seems like a very loving mother who dresses up at night as if she is going out on the town. Is she a prostitute or do the outfits make her feel more like her younger self?
These ideas are fairly well-developed but the characters and their backgrounds along with the plot could use more depth. We learn that Saul didn’t have a good relationship with his father who is, for the most part, out of the picture. It’s unclear what kind of connection Saul’s mother has had with him though. We don’t know how long they’ve been apart. We also don’t know much about Saul’s sexual and relationship life as he has been out of the closet for some twenty years when the film begins.
Perhaps because this is based on a true story there are a lot of plot elements that aren’t given enough time to develop. Saul’s rise to fame as Cassandro happens a bit too quickly. One minute he’s referred to as “faggot” by stadium goers and then he becomes nationally famous. As such, his struggle doesn’t feel as rough as it should be to build a sense of drama. When the conflict does arrive, it tends to be associated with the other characters in his world.
There’s no denying though that Gael Garcia Bernal gives a highly skilled performance as Saul/El Topo/Cassandro. With dyed blonde hair and some solid muscle, his small, physical presence would seem to be a bit overwhelmed by the guys with whom he wrestles but what the actor pulls off is quite impressive. Clearly, he trained to be in the ring as he performs most of his own stunts. It’s a highly physical role that he masters. Perla De La Rosa is very good as Saul’s mother and the smaller parts by the always good Raul Castillo (as Gerardo) and even Bad Bunny as Felipe are nicely directed and performed.
Much of the film is dark, reflecting the seedy world of amateur wrestling, cocaine, and hidden sexual activities. It’s an appropriate look but does become a bit tiresome after a while. Yes, there are brighter scenes reflecting some of Saul’s dreams but they aren’t as plentiful.
Cassandro is a fairly well-accomplished film with a script that may be trying to do too much in a short period of time. Mostly, it’s worth seeing for Bernal.
Cassandro opens in limited release this week. In Chicago, it is being screened at Landmark Century Centre Cinema. It will then be available for streaming on Amazon Prime beginning September 22nd.