Cassandro, The Exotico! is an extremely original documentary. It tells the end of the career of Cassandro, legendary wrestler and member of the exoticos, a group of gay wrestlers who fight against clichés in the wrestling world, especially against homophobic clichés. Moving, colorful and unique, focus on an extraordinary film.
The first thing that strikes is the format of the film. Filmed in 16mm, it is broadcast in 16:9. The choice of film is felt, with a grainy image, sometimes damaged. This handheld camera allows the filmmaker to be as close as possible to Cassandro, and thus to really give the impression of penetrating his intimacy. Thanks to this process, a warm and pleasing image is obtained. We end up regretting not seeing more films filmed this way. This choice also makes it possible to better transcribe the colorful character that is Cassandro: a man who likes to wear makeup and work on his appearance to match his wrestling character. The body is here a real working tool. It's about our character's livelihood. It is worked to attract glory to its owner. And it is the relationship between Cassandro's will and his physical abilities that is at the heart of the film.
Cassandro is the "queen" of exoticos, the best known and most gifted of them. In Mexico he is a real star. In this country, wrestling is of paramount importance. It is indeed one of the favorite sports of Mexicans. It is a demanding sport and physically very hard. Cassandro is a wounded man (not a single part of his body was spared). He tries to minimize this pain in front of the rest of the world, but it is there. We see him continue to fight at all costs, caring about his health. Every time Cassandro's body crashes to the ground, the audience will worry and wonder if he will be able to get up. This concern grows little by little according to the evolution of Cassandro's condition.
It is a film bathed in melancholy. That of a champion who is about to retire. A rare and therefore valuable point of view. But it is also the portrait of a homosexual who, thanks to sport, has come to be recognized and appreciated by all. It is shown here that sport allows everyone to overcome their condition in order to surpass themselves , whether physically, mentally or socially, because sport is still one of the few areas where one can become a hero for the working classes.
Marie Losier gives us here a tender and touching documentary on the end of the career of a wrestling idol soon fallen. Despite a rhythm not always well managed that causes boredom at times, Cassandro is a film that shows an invisible fight, a fight that opposes the will and the body, and that shows what can happen in the head of a top athlete when his body is no longer able to support the mind.
