Nacho Libre

Movie : Nacho Libre

Genre: Comedy

Cast: Jack Black

Director: Jared Hess

Running Time: 90 minutes

Rating: *** and 1/2

Review:

"I am I am, I am I am

I think I am I think I am

I'm glad I am

I'm proud I am

A real religious man"

Opening lines from a delightful track by Mr Loco mark the opening of this film as it shows a young Jack Black (an orphan staying in a monastery) stealing pieces of clothing to stitch together a dream costume for himself as a Luchador (Mexican Wrestler) named Nacho, only to be caught by the monastery people and given a bath to cleanse him of his "unholy" desire. That sets the tone for the rest of the movie, underplayed but rib tickling humour.

Nacho grows up to become a friar in the monastery cooking bland food for the orphans and secretly sketching away the costume designs for his unfulfilled dream. All changes when he sees an open contest inviting tag teams to wrestle. Nacho teams up with a street beggar named Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez) who had once robbed him of food. The hilarious duo are quite a sight with Nacho a short, fat guy with the Esqueleto the beggar- tall, thin and unkempt taking on the well oiled Luchadors and getting beaten up.

Back in the monastery Nacho finds his heart beating for Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) who calls him "brother" and gently reprimands him for entertaining thoughts of becoming a Luchador. Watch Nacho attempt to woo the sister with his "expensive clothes" and his "strong body" in trademark Jack Black style, it's hilarious.

(PS: forgive me lord but the nun is beautiful, probably the most striking actress from Mexico after the days of Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz)

Amidst all this the story moves forward with some of the funniest jokes being played out on the screen. True, some of the gags are pretty common and in your face, but most of the humour is situational like the scene where Nacho fights with his tag team partner, the beggar who says "I don't believe in God, I believe in Saaince (read Science)" and baptizing him just before the match against "Satan's Cavemen". Sample this line from the movie:

"Nacho:I'm not listening to you! You only believe in Science. That's probably why we never win!

Esqueleto: We never win because you are fat! "

The fights themselves are a riot where this rag tag team loses all matches but wins peoples' hearts.

The story has the usual underdog coming on top theme, but Jack Black and the ensemble cast laces it with such unassuming humour that you will always keep smiling but never quite burst into a rapture. For instance, when Nacho tells the senior priest that he has been robbed of the chips the priest asks him with a deadpan face - "Did you not tell him that they were the Lord's chips? " or the poem Nacho writes when he is out in the wilderness:

"I ate some bugs.

I ate some grass.

I used my hand.

To wipe my tears"

I still don't know whether it is safe to so highly recommend such a movie because in essence it is Stupid, all of it, from Nacho's accent to some of the bathroom jokes, yet I laughed for most part of the movie and would'nt mind watching it again (which is more than I can say for any comedy I've seen recently). Jack Black has produced the movie and I see no other person who would take on such a role with such passion and belief, watch him riding his "bike", it's priceless .The director Jared Hess is known for his previous comedy Napolean Dynamite, which I've heard is fantastic and better than this one. Well, after watching this I can't wait to watch that one.

Final words - go out and rent the DVD, in all probability you should laugh away the evening, but if you hate it, then I think you believe in movie making as a Saaince.