But Hess doesn’t take it all far enough (the PG rating seems unusually restrictive), especially with the audacity of gags and the frequency of jokes, allowing lulls to interfere with the wittier jabs at religion and heroism, role models revealing their true natures, and the love story with an exceptionally attractive nun. Much of “Nacho Libre” is Wes Anderson-like, with peculiar characters and odder undertakings, plastered against strikingly colorful backdrops. Inexplicably, the filmmakers chose not to use the line “based on a true story,” which would have been hilarious considering the unbelievable yet real-life basis on a Catholic reverend, who raised money for his orphanage by becoming a luchador. That same level of eccentricity is apparent in this new work, featuring quirky editing and framing (most notably, two-dimensional angles) and high contrast cinematography with vivid colors. The imagery also betrays a strange preoccupation with food (having no bearing on Ignacio’s primary job), as seen in director Jared Hess’ previous film “Napoleon Dynamite” (at one point, Nacho bites into a juicy watermelon while in the ring). Supplementing the PG-level scrapping (outside of bullfighting and fleeing from bees) is plenty of bathroom humor, including farting and grasping fresh animal droppings. Just as the matches sway in and out of realism, so does Black’s Hispanic accent, which routinely disappears completely. The physical choreography is effective, even when it’s overly goofy. The action scenes are actually quite well done, mixing unrealistic wirework and exaggerated maneuvers with authentic bone-crushing combat – oftentimes utilizing trios of combatants or more. Desperate to rise to the top of the profession, woo Encarnacion, and fulfill his responsibilities to the children, Nacho is forced to lead a double life – or risk everything by revealing his alter ego. Rose), an orphan who catches the aspiring fighter trying on a new costume. “When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room,” Nacho explains to Chancho (Darius A. Although they lose, they win over the crowds, prompting the organizer to give them a cut and invite them back for next week’s event at a larger arena. They hope to taste the glory of athletic victory and nab the 200 peso prize. Nevertheless, Nacho heads into town to recruit local thief Steven “Esqueleto” (Hector Jimenez) as a sparring and tag-team partner for the upcoming tournament. When the brotherhood receives a new teacher, Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) from the neighboring convent, Nacho is inspired to pursue an ad for novice wrestlers to prove his worth to her, even though she believes such celebrities are false idols and certainly not a career to celebrate, and he envisages donning a shroud of anonymity. As an adult, “Nacho” (Jack Black) is now a terrible chef, and still harbors his fantasy of donning the cape of a luchador and performing lucha libre freestyle wrestling in front of packed, cheering crowds. But the monks insistented that he shape his destiny instead as a cook. Ver since he was a young boy at the monastery, Ignacio dreamed of being a professional wrestler.
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