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/w#### 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.
