Sunday, December 31, 2006

Movie Review - Nacho Libre


Nacho Libre was a movie that the trailer doesnt really do justice too. It stars Jack Black as Ignacio a monk who dreams of being a wrestler. Directed by Jared Hess who also did Napolean Dynamite there are lots of things similar with the way the movie is handled. The topic of Nacho Libre is very bizarre and i expect will appeal to a much wider audience than Napolean Dynamite did. The rest of the cast are relative unknowns at least to me but all are more than up to the job and play out the scenes well with suitably comedic perfomances.

The look of the movie is colourful and bright its easy on the eyes and it has charm and a style which carries on throughout the whole movie. The character are suitably odd as was the case in Jared Hess's previous movie, well with Nacho Libre its no different. The story revolves around Ignacio who wants to pursue a double life of a monk and a wrestler, so a wrestling monk not your everyday story. By day he looks after orphans at the monestary cooking for them, but he has dreams of being a wrestler. Using the name of Nacho, Ignacio can keep his identity a secret, next he convinces a street theif who robbed him join in with his plans and they become a wrestling tag team. They work to try and carve out a reputation in the wrestling world so Nacho can earn some money for the ophans and to win the love of the recently transfered nun the orphanage played by Ana de la Reguera.

Jack black is good in this and he does carry the movie hes funny and comedic in a slapstick way. There are lots of little touches that had me cracked up, things you sometimes shouldnt laugh at but you just do. Everything is held together by a consistent and solid visual style, good sets, scenery and cinematography coupled with subtle performances from the support actors.






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