Bilgi :Nacho Libre
There's a pretty simple test as to whether
you'd enjoy Nacho Libre or not. Two questions: Did you
like Napoleon Dynamite? Do you typically like Jack
Black?
If the answer to either question is no, than
you can safely pass on Nacho. But if you appreciate the
random quirkiness of Napoleon and the zany,
melodramatic and overacted comedy of Black, welcome to a
comedic goldmine. From the writers of Napoleon (Jared
& Jerusha Hess) and School of Rock (Mike White) and
the director of Napoleon (Jared Hess), this goofy
comedy is much more like that Idaho-based surprise hit in tone
and feel than the commercials let on. And while the irreverent
wrestling comedy is laugh-out-loud funny and humorously
surprising several times, it could have used more of
Napoleon's simple likeability and School of
Rock's heart.
Jack Black as Friar Nacho, who is
looking for a bit more out of life
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The film's best parts come from Black's
earnest delivery and the traits it shares with
Napoleon, like its look and cinematography (even though
set in Mexico and not Idaho) and reliance on strange but
fitting music. And like Dynamite, this film has plenty
of well-delivered and fun-to-repeat one-liners that will be
quoted again and again—lines like, "Beneath a man … is his
nucleus." Jokes score by relying on wry observation, small
details, slow pacing, and simplicity. And perhaps the Hesses'
greatest strength is their fascination with the mundane,
awkward and bizarre realness of life. Strange-looking
characters don't always know what to say and either stare with
hilarious facial expressions or nervously stumble through
sentences like, "Anyways, I thought you'd like to join me in
my quarters this night … for some toast."
Watching (and hearing) two awkward and
teen-like adults sitting in a tiny room loudly crunching on
very hard toast is enduring and fun in its simplicity and
normalness. And like Napoleon, Nacho's best
laughers come in understated and random vignettes like this.
But the good news for people who criticized Napoleon
for only being random vignettes and no plot, Nacho
strings its comedic centerpieces on a bit more of a
substantial story.
When Sister Encarnacion (Ana de
la Reguera) comes to the orphanage, Nacho is motivated
to greater things
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Nacho (played by Black) is a friar at the
Mexican orphanage where he grew up. He loves the children, but
he feels the other friars disrespect him—giving him lower
duties like cooking the meals for the children but without
decent ingredients. So, as he slaves over pots of sludge, he
dreams of being a famous wrestler in Lucha Libre, a type of free-style fighting
in Mexico. When a new—and attractive—nun (Ana de la Reguera)
is transferred to the orphanage, Nacho, a slave to his menial
tasks and pathetic way of life, aims to catch her eye—yes, in
a romantic way. He longs for the kind of attention the great
luchador Ramses (Cesar Gonzalez) gets.
Humiliated for the last time by the friars,
Nacho decides to make his dreams come true. He talks a street
beggar (Hector Jiménez) into becoming his sidekick. And
together, they began their secret wrestling career. Before he
knows it, Nacho is sucked into a selfish quest for fame and
respect that leads him to materialism and neglect of the
children. When given one last chance as a luchador, Nacho must
battle Ramses, reveal his secret passion, and find a
motivation greater than selfish rewards.
Where Nacho can go down for the count
is that it doesn't always trust its great understated and
bizarre humor, but instead goes for easy laughs with broader,
and borderline-crude, attempts (like many fart jokes). The
result is a great mishmash of comedy styles. While the Hesses'
first outing—Dynamite—seemed innocent and sweet,
there's a touch of darkness to the humor here, including
distastefully rude humor like an obese woman who crawls around
like a rodent in tunnels. Yah, tunnels. (Nope, seeing the
movie won't help you understand that bit any more than right
now—it's just too bizarre to actually be funny.)
A street beggar (Hector Jiminez)
becomes Nacho's sidekick
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These less interesting and too bizarre side
plots make the last half of the movie drag. And though the
movie has a plot, the Hess knack for random vignettes leads to
storylines or characters that seem like they will build to
something—but don't. So why should we care? The second half
seems disjointed, the narrative unravels and the story starts
to serve the joke instead of the other way around. There's
really no clear motivation for what characters do, and
promising plotlines are rarely fully realized. This is most
evident in the way the movie handles Nacho's religion.
Written by the Hess couple, both Mormons, the
film mentions faith often—and in some really perceptive and
well-executed ways. Nacho talks about knowing the gospel and
sharing it with others, and there's a good theme of realizing
you must use your desires and abilities (even if it is to
wrestle in Spandex) for God's purposes—and not for self. "If
you fight for others' well-being," the nun tells Nacho, "only
then will God bless you in battle." And there're some great
jokes that believers will enjoy about conversion and
legalism.
However, the film's lack of character
development and loose plot lead to some faith weirdness and
contradiction. Nacho really doesn't know what he believes. He
has no conviction. Why is he even a friar? It's clear that he
would surrender his vows of celibacy if the attractive nun
would too (he even sings a song about it). Nacho spouts
not-so-good theology like "maybe we'll meet in the next life"
and consults a gypsy for help. Some faith issues just don't
add up. One minute, Nacho's sidekick "only believes in
science" and then, he's suddenly leading Nacho in prayer.
But, let's be honest: Fully realized plots
and stirring themes aren't what we're watching Nacho
Libre for. Though it would have been a tighter comedy by
dropping about 10 minutes of the extraneous too-weird stuff
and adding more interesting supporting characters, it is often
very funny and will live on in many a DVD collection. After
all, this is all about Jack Black being Jack Black (but with
an outrageous Antonio Banderas accent), funny and
well-conceived wrestling action, and catch-you-off-guard
comedy. And Nacho Libre has all of those things in a
headlock. |
