MOVIE REVIEW: The Wrestler

2009-01-05T23:36:00Z

Starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Written by Robert D. Siegel

Picture this: You are blessed with a rare talent, ability, or skill. That skill brings you fortune and fame beyond your wildest dreams. You are adored by millions. Then, one day, it’s all over. You find yourself working a regular job for regular pay, and those fans who adored you in your prime have mostly grown up and moved on to more adult pursuits. How do you cope? Do you continue to perform the same hat trick for diminishing crowds, even though you abilities have deteriorated over the years? Even though, one day, it may kill you?

Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, The Wrestler, provides an unexpectedly compelling backdrop for such a story: The world of professional wrestling. This same backdrop offers us a sympathetic (yet ultimately pathetic) protagonist in Randy “The Ram” Robinson. It paints his struggle with life after “the spotlight” in a way that is equal parts funny, insightful, painful and oddly triumphant.

Mickey Rourke plays wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson. Randy was quite the star back in 80's. He had his own action figure, was featured in countless magazines and even a Nintendo video game. That was then, and Randy is now a has-been with nothing to show for his past glory. He lives in a trailer home and is working part time at a local grocery store in order to make ends meet. Robinson still wrestles, but not in the same capacity as in his heyday. He now performs in the “minor leagues”, to greatly diminished crowds made up mostly of nostalgic adults.

Randy finds a kindred spirit in an older stripper named Cassidy (Played by Marisa Tomei) , who is also well past her prime as a performer. The patrons of the strip club she dances in regularly refuse table dances from her due to her age. Randy’s daughter Stephanie (Played by Evan Rachel Wood) holds a venomous resentment towards him for the way he neglected her as a child. It would seem that the only good thing in Randy’s life, the only thing worth fighting for, is the adulation and cheers from the fans whenever he steps into the ring. For Randy, the cheers of the fans serve as both anti- depressant and painkiller. They help him to cope with the unholy mess his personal life has become.

Believe the hype. Although the character of Randy “The Ram” has parallels to Mickey Rourke himself, Mickey isn’t simply going through the motions here. He is actually giving arguably the strongest performance of his career. The role is a demanding one, both emotionally and physically, as Rourke performed many of his own stunts during the wrestling scenes. Some of it is downright painful to watch, though not nearly as painful as the emotional and psychological turmoil the character endures outside of the ring. We watch Mickey Rourke visit some very uncomfortable places, and we feel for him. He truly rises to the occasion.

Darren Aronofsky keeps things interesting by shooting the film in a guerilla, pseudo -documentary style and giving us lots of real insight into the world of Professional wrestling. He allows us to see that while wrestling itself is “fake”, the wrestlers themselves are very much true athletes and physical performers.

Tomei spends a good deal of time in this film mostly nude, and it is to her credit that we, the audience, are not completely focused on that. She takes what could have been a stock character (the stripper/whore with a heart of gold) and turns it into something much more tangible.

There is much sadness and pain in this film, but also an undercurrent of triumph in self- realization and acceptance. We are what we are, and we will only be at peace with the world around us if we are able to come to grips with and accept who we are. The Wrestler makes the argument that it is nearly impossible for an entertainer/performer to be a real person once they have been at the top, and gotten a taste of all that comes with it. Once the spotlight moves on, and fans no longer care about you, how do you go on living a normal life? The real struggle isn’t in getting to the top or even in maintaining that position, but in continuing on after you’ve fallen off.

The Wrestler is one of the best films of the year, and features perhaps the performance of Mickey Rourke’s career. This is not only his “comeback” film, but the film he will be remembered by for years to come.

Lifestyle / Film / TV

MOVIE REVIEW: The Wrestler