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But the two styles mesh surprisingly well in Nacho Libre, which may well be the sweetest and silliest movie about masked Mexican wrestlers you’ll see at the cinema this year.
It’s
Black who makes the main compromises here, lowering the volume on his
wildman persona a few decibels to match Hess’s spare, bone-dry approach
to filmmaking (he’s a bit like Royal Tenenbaums director Wes Anderson, only not nearly as imaginative).
But
don’t be misled into thinking Black’s gone all subtle on you. No, his
performance is still enjoyably over-the-top, with its swagger and
outlandish Mexican accent...but it’s quietly over-the-top, if you know
what I mean.
He plays Brother Ignacio, a novice monk who toils away in the kitchen of a run-down Mexico orphanage.
And
while he’s supposed to be devoting his life to the Lord, Ignacio has a
secret dream - he longs to don the mask and gaudy tights of the
luchador (that’s wrestler to you) and win the love of the crowd.
Joining
forces with Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez), a scrawny beggar with a knack
for wrestling, Ignacio takes to the ring and grapples with a strange
collection of opponents (including my personal favourites, a pair of
short-statured chaps who appear to be part-lion!).
Of course,
any money earned by Ignacio - or ‘Nacho’, as he’s known to his growing
number of fans - goes towards making the lives of the orphans more
bearable. But is his success in the ring going to his head?
Nacho Libre
has a loopy joy to it that’s kind of infectious, but it’s far from
flawless. Its poker-faced approach may well be enough to leave some
viewers cold. And even those on its wavelength might tire of its
assumption that a comedy can coast by on a funny accent or a heavyset
man in a pair of tights.
But Hess’s style is distinctive enough to win Nacho Libre a few fans, although I doubt it’ll catch on as strongly as Napoleon Dynamite, which unexpectedly developed a devoted cult following.
And
Black works overtime to juice up the whole enchilada, strutting around
with a crazy confidence that’s reminiscent of the late, great John
Belushi.
EXTRAS
Extras include commentary, deleted scenes, numerous featurettes and easter eggs.
Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: 70%
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