Cassandro was an “exotico” character created by a gay 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 gay 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. 
(2.5 / 5)
