Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight
Movie poster for 'The Wrestler.'
4/5 stars
For the record, I hate wrestling. The concept of two barely clothed, testosterone-fueled grown men smashing their bodies against each other, all in the name of cheesy theatrics, just doesn’t appeal to me. I originally didn’t think I was going to like this movie.
But this film isn’t really about wrestling. It’s about an aging entertainer, who finds himself with failing health, all alone after years of ruling the ring, and clinging to his fading success with reckless abandon. It’s a story about a man trying to find his place in this world, and wrestling with his demons.
To say this film is good just doesn’t give it justice. This film is phenomenal. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie that makes me want to see it again in the very near future. Many critics and moviegoers had already closed the file on Mickey Rourke’s career as a leading man, but he proves in this film that he’s still got it. Many are calling this Mickey Rourke’s ‘resurrection,’ and they’re absolutely right.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the same director who brought us the uncomfortable-to-watch yet well-respected Requiem for a Dream, the film follows Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke. The director uses a lot of tracking shots and hand-held cameras to basically shadow the main character (in fact, the audience doesn’t actually see Randy’s face until about ten minutes in). The result is that the audience is seeing through Randy’s eyes, hearing what he’s hearing, and feeling what he’s feeling. Mickey Rourke brings such genuine energy to this role, and it’s easy to root for him and connect with him. Very few actors could have pulled this role off, as it strikes a delicate balance between macho and compassionate, and it was the perfect fit for Rourke.
Marisa Tomei plays Randy’s love interest, and while she could have easily fallen into the cliche of a ‘stripper with a heart of gold,’ the chemistry between the two actors and the well-written script keep that from happening. In my opinion, Tomei gives her best performance since My Cousin Vinny.
Evan Rachel Wood plays Randy’s daughter, Stephanie, and the scenes between the two are perhaps the most compassionate and moving in the entire film. Wood does a convincing job of portraying the anger at her father for not being there for her when she was growing up, and the moments of tenderness between father and daughter feel real, not staged. The director’s strength lies in his ability to make you feel intimately connected to Randy and by extension, to those people in his life.
This film isn’t for the faint-of-heart, as there is some violence, nudity, and profanity. But Aronofsky highlights the camaraderie and humor that takes place between the wrestlers, and there are plenty of moments that will make an audience laugh out loud. Sure, there are some continuity errors and some editing mistakes, but these are minor issues. The overall effect is a film that feels incredibly genuine, and unexpectedly moving.