MEDIA REVIEWS
CASSANDRO
It seems as though the movie business is getting hip to what wrestling fans have known all along. That is to say, the squared circle can make for an inspired setting, from all-fiction fare such as Mickey Rourke’s quintessential portrayal of Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler to quasi-biopics like the Saraya-inspired yarn Fighting With My Family. Following closely in this growing trend is the film Cassandro, which chronicles the early career of famed luchador Saul Armendariz, as played by actor Gael Garcia Bernal.
Armendariz, who began his ring career in the late-’80s, is now widely regarded as an icon in both lucha libre and broader LGBT pop culture. But his path to fame was an especially challenging one, rife with the emotional peaks and valleys that make for captivating cinema. Accordingly, Cassandro presents a complex narrative, weaving the personal trials of Armendariz with his efforts at crafting an in-ring persona. The end result is a character who ultimately modernizes a hitherto traditional lucha role by amplifying key elements of his own life and personality, not unlike what “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has famously recommended to up-and-coming grapplers.
Reinventing himself as an —a male luchador who wrestles in drag—Armendariz
