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Drama

Cassandro

- Changing the game, one match at a time.

The true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso that rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world but also his own life.

Release Date : 2023-09-14

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Motto PicturesEscape ArtistsGrand Illusion FilmsLa Corriente del GolfoAmazon MGM Studios

Production Country : MexicoUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Gael García Bernal

Character Name : Saúl "Cassandro"

Original Name : Gael García Bernal

Gender : Male

Roberta Colindrez

Character Name : Sabrina

Original Name : Roberta Colindrez

Gender : Female

Perla de la Rosa

Character Name : Yocasta

Original Name : Perla de la Rosa

Gender : Female

Joaquín Cosío

Character Name : Lorenzo

Original Name : Joaquín Cosío

Gender : Male

Raúl Castillo

Character Name : Gerardo

Original Name : Raúl Castillo

Gender : Male

El Hijo del Santo

Character Name : El Hijo del Santo

Original Name : El Hijo del Santo

Gender : Male

Bad Bunny

Character Name : Felipe

Original Name : Bad Bunny

Gender : Male

Gigántico

Character Name : Murder Clown

Original Name : Gigántico

Gender : Male

Yavor Vesselinov

Character Name : Pete

Original Name : Yavor Vesselinov

Gender : Male

Leonardo Alonso

Character Name : El Mysterioso

Original Name : Leonardo Alonso

Gender : Male

Carmen Ledesma

Character Name : Rosie

Original Name : Carmen Ledesma

Gender : Male

Javier Escobar

Character Name : Masked Massacre

Original Name : Javier Escobar

Gender : Male

Lorenzo Constantini

Character Name : Cousin Thiago

Original Name : Lorenzo Constantini

Gender : Male

Jorge Andrés Zerecero

Character Name : Young Saúl

Original Name : Jorge Andrés Zerecero

Gender : Male

Robert Salas

Character Name : Eduardo

Original Name : Robert Salas

Gender : Male

Ronald Gonzales-Trujillo

Character Name : Young Eduardo

Original Name : Ronald Gonzales-Trujillo

Gender : Male

Sofía Félix

Character Name : Young Yocasta

Original Name : Sofía Félix

Gender : Male

Eduardo Cayetano

Character Name : Diablo

Original Name : Eduardo Cayetano

Gender : Male

Joseph Gabriel Rodríguez

Character Name : Ruben

Original Name : Joseph Gabriel Rodríguez

Gender : Male

Julieta Ortiz

Character Name : Candance

Original Name : Julieta Ortiz

Gender : Female

Mark Vasconcellos

Character Name : Dante

Original Name : Mark Vasconcellos

Gender : Male

Yolanda Abbud L.

Character Name : Older Maid

Original Name : Yolanda Abbud L.

Gender : Female

Víctor Ismael Pinillos

Character Name : CD Juarez Announcer

Original Name : Víctor Ismael Pinillos

Gender : Male

Norman Elizondo

Character Name : Man at CDMX Club

Original Name : Norman Elizondo

Gender : Male

Luis J. Sánchez

Character Name : El Paso TX Announcer

Original Name : Luis J. Sánchez

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-09-20

Gael García Bernal is great in this entertaining biopic of the eponymous wrestler who rose from Texan oblivion and poverty to international acclaim. We learn fairly early on that he and his mother "Jocasta" (Perla De La Rosa) get by after his father abandoned them by working loads of different jobs and by him taking on the role of an "exotico" - a sort of "glamour" wrestler - in a makeshift garage where his job is to camp things up and then get beaten by a guy twice his size. Aside from the fact that it hurts, he decides that he wants a new home for him and his mum, and that he also has the skill to take things a bit further professionally. Together with his new-found, kick-ass, trainer "Sabrina" (Roberta Colindrez) he decides to create the new character of "Cassandro" to become the first of his creed to actually win! What now ensues is quite a messy film, technically - the editing and continuity are not very good, but the sheer charisma of the star as he portrays this openly gay man in a world that offers him little but hostility is frequently quite amusing and engaging to watch. There's a little bit of (complicated) love interest for him, too, but essentially it's Bernal hamming it up, Liberace style, in the ring where he is adept and pinning down (not an euphemism) gents far more substantial than himself. Like stories of boxing in general, it's illustrative of just how few opportunities there are for those trapped in a cycle of poverty to escape the mundanity of their lives - especially when their sexuality doesn't exactly conform either; and it also demonstrates well just how a community thrives on and values these makeshift, almost bare-knuckle, events. I knew nothing at all about the "Lucha Libre" culture so that proved quite an eye-opener too - particularly when reconciled with a strong but not overwhelming gay storyline. Maybe it doesn't need to be seen in a cinema, but I did enjoy it and it's well worth a watch.