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NACHO LIBRE Jared Hess Starring Jack Black Ana De La Reguera Hector Jimenez Darius Rose The new release from Napoleon Dynamite's writer/director, Jared Hess, tells the story of an unappreciated monk based in an orphanage/monastery outside Oaxaca, Mexico. Set in the 70's, Ignacio's [Black] childhood passion for lucha libre - a South American style of wrestling, loosely translated as 'free-style fighting' - has been berated constantly. Punished for his love of the sport, he is banished to the kitchen, where he has been preparing meals for the past twenty five years, without funding for fresh ingredients and a disdain for the other brothers who consider him a joke, allocating him the most trivial of priestly duties. Enter the love interest of the flick, Sister Encarnacion [Reguera], sent to the orphanage to act as a new teacher and instantly drawing the attention of every celibate monk in the monastery. One night, out collecting tortilla chips, Ignacio is accosted by the partially naked Esqueleto/Stephen [Jimenez]. Realising their strengths are equally matched (in Ignacio's eyes, at least) Ignacio suggests a partnership, a tag team duo to fight in the ring as luchadors; reluctantly, Esqueleto agrees. It's a delirious comedy very much to the styling of Napoleon Dynamite and attuned to Jack Black's style of humour (see Tenacious D); luckily for me that's the exact line of humour I would appear to operate on. One of the most visually appealing aspects is how the film utilises the strange and the ordinary - mostly with regards to the cast. The few short wrestling scenes are the highlight of the movie, giving the audience a quick jolt of adrenaline to revive them from - what feels like - a 92 minute, uneventful slumber. If you haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite, the comedy is an odd mix of slapstick, pulling faces, silly accents and stylised minimalism. There are also many nods towards the Sergio Leone/David Fincher fascination with close-ups of unusual portraits and dirt. One of the elements that falls flat on its face is the resolution of love. The romantic interests are a little twisted, to say the least; Ignacio wants Sister Encarnacion - that whole nun love thing makes me shudder a little - and Senor Ramon's daughter wants Esqueleto - against his will. To be brutally honest, this one is not going to be very well received, I doubt the masses will like the sparse moments of silence, the dodgy accent or the odd South-of-the-border setting but it is a comedy of tastes. It's my firm belief that people's idea of comedy is so incredibly varied; one of the hardest tasks for a comedy flick is to appeal to as many people as possible. A lot of the time it's impossible to reach everyone, for example, I'm a Kevin Smith fan and really look forward to his new releases. Naturally Smith isn't to everyone's tastes but having said that Little Man shot straight to the Number 2 slot in the US Box Office Top 10... I think that speaks for itself. I hate the Wayan's comedy, I just don't get it. The same could be said with this, some viewers may question why it's considered a comedy; it's just one of those subversive comedies that a certain group feel akin to and will do well in those circles alone. Release Date: 16th June 2006 The Scene To Look Out For: It's not even a full or complete scene but Ignacio is concerned with Esqueleto's lack of faith and devotion to science, so he takes it upon himself to baptise him - which involves a bucket of water and the art of surprise. I just laughed... it was funny. Stop judging me! Notable Characters: Ramses [Cesar Gonzalez] - arrogant, masked villain who wears a lot of gold... and chap stick. He's just a classic on-screen goon. The typical sporting role-model that turns out to be a complete jerk. Cliched? Yes. Do I care? No. Highlighted Quote: "My life is good, really good! I get to wake up every morning, at 5am.. and make some soup. I love it, it's the best! I get to lay in a bed... all by myself... all of my life.... it's fantastic!" In A Few Words: "Driven by a Jack Black/Napoleon Dynamite humour, Nacho Libre proves to be ingeniously funny but a little too random in places to ensnare the majority of the audience" Total Score: 7/10 Matthew Stogdon |
