The Wrestler

At long last: The Wrestler

"I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be alone."

That line, prominent in the trailers for "The Wrestler," says it all. Mickey Rourke, as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, is perfect. Find an old picture of Rourke and compare it to today; Rourke himself appears to be a broken down piece of meat. So all of the comparisons to the character and the man are fair, but that's all I want to comment on as far as that goes because I think to say that Rourke was born to play the role and things like that actually belittle the performance. If he was born to play it, then why is it so impressive? It's impressive because the guy can act. Rourke does so much just with his eyes and his voice in this. The lines are good, but he makes them better. You hear a little desperation in his voice. You see the pain behind his eyes. You feel sorry for this man. You want him to succeed the moment you see him. That is Rourke at work. That is why he is winning awards and that is why he deserves that Oscar in a few weeks. Now, onto the actual film, which is unfortunately taking the back burner this awards season.


The Wrestler begins with a montage of clippings from The Ram's career: sold out shows, pay-per-view specials, championship fights, etc. Then it cuts to twenty years later and The Ram is sitting in a folding chair in what appears to be a kindergarten classroom which has been turned into a dressing room for the night. He is handed some money, though it isn't as much he expected because the gate wasn't very big that night. This is what he has become. Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream) uses the camera to follow closely behind The Ram, just observing, not showing his face just yet. We need to walk around with this guy for a bit before we see his face. This creates the sympathy because if we see his face first, we start making assumptions about the guy. If we walk around with him, see him locked out of his home and sleeping in his grungy van, then we feel something about him before we see that damaged face. Aronofsky creates an interesting style this way. I'm not sure how to exactly describe, but it just makes you feel like you're there with the characters. He somehow found the right distance, shook the camera enough to create a walking sensation without making it distracting, and left a grainy look to the film to make it seem a bit more real. It helped me get into the story instantly. So we're following The Ram...



We follow him to a strip club where he tries to win over Pam (Marisa Tomei), who is also a performer that's getting a bit too old for the job. We follow him to his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who is sick of him, but willing to try to forgive him. We follow him to his matches where he is an esteemed veteran, not a joke, which is what he appears to be when he's working his regular job at a grocery store. Sound depressing? It is, but it's an enjoyable film all the same. The Ram has some funny moments; shopping for his daughter, playing retro videogames with local kids, talking about the greatness that is 80's hair metal, etc. And if you're a wrestling fan, or ever have been, you'll enjoy every second of the matches (you'll probably enjoy them even if you don't care for wrestling). The matches are not only put in there to add action, though. The matches really say it all. The Ram is a fan favorite and he looks like he's at home on the stage...sorry, in the ring. He looks slightly lost everywhere else. One of the best moments in the film is when The Ram starts working in the deli section of the grocery store. He puts on his hairnet in the bathroom then the camera follows him through the back area while the noise of a crowd can be heard. The crowd grows louder as he nears the plastic curtain to the deli, he pauses, walks through and...silence. The Ram is nothing without the fans. He has a real name without the fans. It's funny, it's sad, it's a little shocking here and there, and it's heartbreaking. That's life and that makes a good film.


A quick sidenote concerning the Oscars. I'm happy with the acting nominations (Rourke and Tomei), but it is a joke that this is not up for Best Picture, because, in my opinion, it's the best film of 2008 (even though us in the MidWest have to wait until 2009 to watch it). This must be better than The Reader. It just has to be. And Aronofsky is not up for director and Ron Howard is? I loved Frost/Nixon and Howard did a good job with it, but this film has the fingerprint of a great director on it. Aronofsky deserves just as much praise as Rourke, if you ask me. And finally, no nomination for Springsteen's song? The Academy needs to rearrange their backwards technical rules for Best Song and Best Score* because this seems to happen every year.


*Actually, the snub for Springsteen is not due to any actual rule, so it's only explained by the fact that the Academy completely dropped the ball on this one, especially since they only nominated 5 songs, so it's not like The Wrestler was beat out by anything. I have read, though, that they don't like to give it to songs that play over the end credits only, though it is not against the rules to do so.

As for the Score, Eddie Vedder and Jonny Greenwood (There Will be Blood) were left out last year because Vedder's was too "song-based" and Greenwood used some music he had already performed for an album a few years earlier...both technicalities that should have been given nominations regardless, if you ask me.

Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

The Wrestler

The Wrestler might appear to be lacking in special features, but the making-of documentary is fairly lengthy and covers almost anything you would want to know about the film (like the fact that Slash did some guitar work for the score and they filmed the wrestling scenes at actual wrestling shows). So the disc might not be overloaded with features, but it has quality features. It also includes a music video for the Oscar-snubbed Bruce Springsteen song. Keep in mind the most important fact for this DVD, it contains what I consider to be the best film of 2008. Sometimes the film itself is enough for a DVD.

(Read Less...)

Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

The Wrestler

My mother-in-law bought my wife and I a blu-ray player in November.  So, of course, I asked for Best Buy gift cards for Christmas and bought a grrrrrrip of discs for New Year's.

One of the several discs that I bought was Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler (2008).

Evan Rachel Wood's "Because you're a fuck up!  You're a living breathing fuck up!" rant is fantastic.  Lately, or at least in the last few months, I've been using the term fuck up a lot -- mostly because I live 5 miles from San Francisco and have to endure autumn- and winter-long 49ers seasons.  I think most people use it as a verb (to fuck up), an exclamatory way to describe the action of a situation gone awry:

"Well, Joanie, we really fucked that up."

But the noun, the fuck up, describes that particular character of person that, at a much greater frequency than your average person, fucks things up.  Generally friendly, forlorn, and always down on his luck, the fuck up more often than he should, tends to make a terrible decision at every crucial moment of their life.

Some famous fuck ups in history:

1. George W. Bush
2. Cain
3. Colonel Sanders
4. BP
5. Al Gore

BR loves this movie because Marisa Tomei is naked pretty much the whole time.  i love it because of course Darren Aronofsky is a genius.  Anyway, that's that.

Ruben of the Floating Red Couch<br />
http://www.floatingredcouch.com

Last updated: 2010-04-22 13:04:52 by user01

The Wrestler - Bullet Review

Intense film drama, takes you on a very emotional ride. I was hoping for more redemption for the lead character but i guess whats was just the point of the film. Brilliant supporting cast also. I'm looking back and wonder why not at least one nomination turned to an oscar. Its a mesmerising film and i'm very much looking forward to the next chapter in the Aronofsky movie book.

(Read Less...)

http://robinollysays.blogspot.com

Art Depicts Life

Rourke, who was once touted an actor with tons of potential, lived a life that, until just recently, led him far from the spotlight.

After an arrest for spousal abuse in the mid 1990s, Rourke made the decision to enter professional boxing, something he loved even before his acting days. By doing this he took himself out of the running as an actor, claiming it as a way to keep from self-destructing.

Though it did give him the chance to fight in countries like Spain, Japan, and Germany, Rourke’s boxing career left him with many injuries. A broken nose, split tongue, and compressed cheekbone, as well as reconstructive surgery, are to blame for the evident changes in his physical appearance.

Though Rourke did have some success in the ring (an undefeated eight fights) he was told by boxing promoters that he was too old to succeed. While entering the ring had been a personal test, Rourke decided to bow out and return to acting.

Though he has remained a Jobber over the years (which, as explained by my sports fanatic husband, is a wrestler required to lose to an opponent) Rourke recently reemerged with his resurrection performance in The Wrestler.

Randy “The Ram”, as he is known by his fans, is a wrestler who was at the top of his form in the 1980s. Though he is still physically fit, his body relies heavily on painkillers and he wears a hearing aid in his left ear.

While his career is nearing a complete collapse, Randy is unable to let go of his past, and continues to fight in small-town venues. Although he needs the money to pay for his trailer and basic living expenses, it is evident that he does not want to shut the door on what he feels defines his entire life.

While Randy is still able to feed his need to fight, the viewers see the struggles he faces each time he steps into the ring, and the surmounting mess that is his personal life.

Aside from a surface friendship with his regular stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), Randy is alone in the world. Though he has a daughter from a previous relationship, he has had no contact with her for many years.

The Wrestler, created to be gritty, dirty, and uncomfortable to watch at times, is a film that depicts Randy’s fall from fame, and the very real struggles that wrestler’s must face at the end of their career.

Between bloody fight scenes and heart wrenching personal battles, Rourke really allows the viewers to feel for Randy. It is as if he actually knew the pain “The Ram” was going through, and could relay this through the screen.

Through the battles of failing health, and a crumbling life outside of wrestling, Rourke pulls Randy “The Ram” from the screenplay page and makes him a real person.

While the film doesn’t have amazing special effects it does have the power to evoke strong emotions. It had me in tears long after the credits rolled.

Recommendations: Wizard of Oz

Last updated: 2010-04-20 08:13:37 by Clarissa3782

Wrestler, The (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)

THE SCOOP
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Plot: A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit.

Genre: Drama/Sport
Awards: Nom. for 2 Oscars - lead actor, sup. actress. Won Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival).
Runtime: 115min
Rating: R21 for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.

IN RETROSPECT
“Witness the resurrection of Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky’s deeply affecting film” reads a huge marketing poster of the Golden Lion winner at Venice. I would say exactly the same. And if you think The Dark Knight was snubbed at the Oscars, this was daylight robbery. The Academy owes Aronofsky a Best Picture and Director nomination here. The Wrestler stars Rourke in a comeback performance as Randy “The Ram” Robinson. It chronicles the ups-and-downs of the life of the Ram Jam wrestler twenty years after he first ruled the wrestling ring. He meets a stripper, Cassidy (played by Marisa Tomei), whom he forms a friendly bond with. And when things seem to look bright for Randy, he suffers a heart attack and is forced to retire from wrestling.

For someone whose life is devoted to a passion and in which he now is unable to pursue, the sudden emptiness can be shocking and it can beget an emotional breakdown even for a grown, rugged man. Aronofsky makes this the cornerstone of his film rather than assembling a picture with an unnecessary series of lengthy wrestling fights. He wants to tell the story of Randy the Common Man. For a fighter like he is, Randy is subjected to emotional hurt and suffering as well. While he takes it well under the circumstances, Rourke portrays him as somewhat fragile and vulnerable. In the ring, he is a hero. Outside it, he is zero. Rourke is nominated here, and he very well deserves that Oscar as much as Sean Penn does for his portrayal as the gay politician Harvey Milk in Milk (2008).

Wrestling is a fake sport made real by the documentary-styled filmmaking. Aronofsky opts for the ‘fly on the wall’ approach to scenes of Rourke in the trailer or restroom prior to a match, giving a sense of immediacy to what is going to happen. The Wrestler is an eye-opening film too because it allows viewers an intimate glimpse to how wrestlers work with one another and how they employ ‘cheating’ tactics to entertain their audience. Yet no matter how rehearsed the fight sequences are in real life or in this film, they are still physically punishing. When these wrestlers tumble down hard, we can feel their pain. And the violence and gore can be unsettling to viewers as well.

The final few minutes of The Wrestler are probably the most heart-wrenching moments in all of 2008’s films. Because Rourke has so successfully delivered a complex screen protagonist, viewers not only sympathize for his character, but also understand why he makes the decision to continue wrestling despite his age and ailing health. The Wrestler is hardcore, gritty and vulgar, a reminiscent of Arononsky’s drug masterpiece, Requiem For A Dream (2000). Yet at its heart, it remains an enlightening and humanizing cinematic experience. A must-watch!

SCORE: 9/10
[www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com]
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

(Read Less...)

Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

Singapore's Most Prolific Film Blogger @ www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-03-13 23:04:34 by eternality_tan

the wrestler

a little bloodier than i thought it needed to be.

i’ve seen some extreme pro wrestling in my time, but this stuff was way over the top.  this was like super extreme.  they moved way beyond steel chairs and brass knuckles.  the first match he pulled the old “razor blade shard in the wrist band” trick and sliced his head.  and it bled.  alot.

but then…they broke out some barbed wire getting caught in the flesh of the skin.  it was graphic.  then these fools started stapling each other.  in the face.  and everywhere else.

two little old ladies walked out on it last week and i gave them some rainchecks.  i’m just wondering how far they made it?  i bet they made it past the razor blade.  these are two little old grizzled matinee girls.  they see everything.  so they made it to the barbed wire even.  i’d be willing to wager it was when they got to the stapling.

the violence was very reminiscent of taxi driver in it’s graphic and gritty value.

and just like taxi driver, this is a great flick.

marissa tomei plays this hot old milf stripper who is essentially the wrestlers only friend.  and she is perfect.

you might have to take an anti-depressant when you leave.  this is no feel good picture.  it’s a raw, gritty, profane look at life.  it’s a powerful peice of cinema.

i’m probably not going to buy it.  kinda like there will be blood.  a great flick.  wonderful character study and excellent portrayel by danny day, but it’s so damn depressing i’ll never watch it again.  that’s how i feel about the wrestler.

if you’re  a fan of cinema and enjoy films like taxi driver and there will be blood, then it might be worth twenty bucks to ya.  i don’t know.

five flying ax handles out of five.

Cal Reed

The Wrestler

"The Wrestler" once again proves that, for the most part, Fox Searchlight Pictures releases great movies. The exception to this rule would be "Napoleon Dynamite," which I thought was terrible and definitely regret seeing. "Juno" and "Slumdog Millionaire" would follow the aforementioned rule and are highly recommended...by me. First of all, the acting is fantastic in "The Wrestler." So it makes sense that Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei each got Oscar nominations for their work here. Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He's a wrestler, hence the title of the movie. In the 1980s he was at the top of his game, but 20 years later...not so much. Now he only wrestles on the weekends and tries to make ends meet working at a supermarket...but is planning on a comeback. His heart attack and other subsequent events prove to be a challenge to his plan. He also has a falling out with his daughter, Stephanie (Rachel Evan Wood) and becomes friends with a stripper named Pam/Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Mickey Rourke is fantastic. He is convincing as a man with struggles and pain and his interactions with Marisa Tomei, who is fantastic as a single mom trying to make it. Rachel Evan Wood is also definitely believable. Watch "My Cousin Vinny" then watch "The Wrestler." That would be proof of Marisa Tomei's range as an actress. At times the movie can be depressing - which isn't at bad thing, because it's part of life. The overall look of the movie is pretty low budget (which it was) but it works so well for the emotional tone of the movie. I thought "The Wrestler" was a great movie...had there been 10 spots to fill for Best Picture nominees last year it definitely would have gotten a spot. So basically if you enjoy well-made movies or just these actors then give the movie a try.

(Read Less...)

Last updated: 2010-02-26 21:57:18 by user01

The Wrestler

C'mon dudes admit it.. we all were crazy about WWF back in the 90's. Man when I was like 12... I got Stunnered, Rock Bottomed, Chokeslamed, Low Blowed and Pedigreed cause I was so damn irritating back then.



So The Wrestler... the movie that's gonna make WWE fans so depressed cause it basically shows the sad truth they don't wanna acknowledge and that is that wrestling is FAKE and that wrestlers are human to. It's directed by Darren Aronofsky who previosuly did Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain which are two amazingly weird but cool films.



This film's about Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, an ageing wrestler who's pretty much a loser. Imagine being like the coolest person on Earth for a few years and was chomped up and spit out like you were nothing. He gets reduced to an old man that is in so much physical pain who has nothing. And the saddest part is he still doesn't get it that people don't care about his wrestling anymore. I mean, he's working like crazy at a meat factory just so he can finance his weekend wrestling at this shithole arena that no one goes to. Plus, he's in love with a 40 year old stripper.



The Wrestler pretty much talks about the problems real life wrestlers go throuh. They put their bodies through a lot of abuse becaue 'it was what they love doing' and when their old, their left with nothing but permanent physical scars. And who could have played the lead role better than Mickey Rourke. This guy was FANTASTIC in this movie!


Honestly, I've never heard of Mickey Rourke until a few months ago when The Wrestler came out, but he was apparently the Zac Efron of the 70's or something like that. But then he did a Britney Spears thing and derailed his career.



The acting in this movie was what made me really like it. Mickey Rourke gave an outstanding performance. He made you love and root for his character even though you know things are gonna end badly for him, which makes it more heartbreaking when it does. Evan Rachel Wood who plays his daughter was great to. She has an awesome scene at the end of the movie. And Marissa Tomei is just HOT man. I think she was naked for at least 80% of the whole movie.



The Wrestler is a clearly character and story driven film cause most of the technical aspects of the film was terrible. The movie does need a bit of patience on the audience's part mainly cause the camera work is really shaky. The Wrestler looked like it was shot entirely with a handycam and it does get a bit annoying sometimes. Also the background noises that wasn't edited out was a little distracting but I think the director purposely left that in to make the movie look more realistic. And I'm willing to bet that most of the characters in the movie were just ordinary people the director pulled in from around the set to act.



Watch this movie. You'll love it.

RATING: 8/10

NicholasC

The Wrestler

You know how, even if you know a Springsteen song is rote, it doesn’t matter? Like when you hear the first verse, and it’s about how “[Joey] lost his job at the [docks/car plant/box factory]” and “[Mindy] got pregnant” that same week and “[Joey’s] smokin’ a cigarette and [embodying blue-collar America]… dah dah dah.” And you know it’s just Bruce slapping all the clichés together… that all his songs sound the same and you really should’ve quit listening after Born to Run. But you well-up anyway. That’s what watching The Wrestler is like. It’s not the song; it’s the voice. We’re all suckers for Bruce.

Mickey Rourke plays a pro-wrestler who once entertained the masses. Hard times have come. Now he’s playing to clumps. He’s got a hearing-aid, heart trouble and an estranged, angry daughter. He dotes on a stripper but she don’t dote on him. Work –the paying kind, the kind that pays him Monday through Friday – means stacking crates. Even his favourite video game is twenty years out of date. But help comes: he has a heart attack. He decides to try to change his life; be a good dad; stop wrestling… dah dah dah. But this is a Springsteen song, not Barry Manilow. Rourke’s lucky if he makes it to the chorus.

“Isn’t he just playing himself?” someone asked me (of Rourke). And yes, he is. But that still means he’s playing Mickey Rourke. This isn’tThe Judge Reinhold Story. To play Mickey Rourke (even if you are Mickey Rourke) is pretty demanding: you have to be stoic, colourful, scary… lost. It’s like Rourke spent his whole life thinking: “this would be good experience to draw on when I play a broken-down pro-wrestler.” In his scenes with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) you find yourself knowing she’s right to reject him. Rourke has that “crazy man”-thing where common decency seems like a cigarette break. You know there’s good in him, but there’s also great debauchery. He doesn’t hang out at a strip club for the drinks.

Marisa Tomei, bravely shedding her clothes for art again (ogle also:Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead), looks forgiving – like she always does. Roger Ebert wrote she could never play a bitch. And he’s right. She always looks like she’s about to tell you about “her kid”… and brush a stray hair from her eyes. Her role in The Wrestler is about as clichéd and prurient as most women’s roles in Hollywood; as ever, there’s no parity whatsoever in terms of how she and Rourke are allowed to look. Rourke is 50 playing 50 and Tomei is 45 with a body that looks 22. Long ago she made a movie called Untamed Heart that a friend of mine’s arm appeared in (ah, the vicarious celebrity of the extra!), and that movie pretty much set out Tomei’s stall: hot but mushy – like chocolate pudding – she’s dependable.

Are there scenes that don’t work? Are there scenes that drag? Yes, yyyyyyyes. This movie isn’t a classic. It gets by on watching Mickey Rourke work the deli counter, or watching Mickey quit with the immortal words: “Get your own f—ing cheese!” It gets by on Marisa Tomei saying “I’m here for you” when the man she’s there for would be like typhoid for her children. It gets by on our respect for a man we only see at a turning point in his life.

We feel for Bruce Springsteen’s people because we all think the world’s against us. Even if you’re as white-collar as they come, you still want to be loved like an unemployed sheet-metal worker is loved by his pregnant girlfriend in a Bruce Springsteen song. In The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke plays a guy who wins us over because he doesn’t bitch about his troubles; he keeps wrestlin’. The movie is a hymn to stoicism as much as men in tights. It’s also about work – the grace of work – the part we can only see in others. How tough Mickey has it. How tough we all do. Cue Springsteen: Born to Run.

(Read Less...)

The Wrestler

"The Wrestler" is my favorite movie of 2008 for many reasons. People know I am a big wrestling fan but that is not the reason I love this film. Going to a major wrestling match and meeting these wrestlers I have learned how kind they are, how dedicated they are, how much they care for each other and what a sense of family and unity they have. These men and women actually break their back, bones and even destroy their faces to entertain their fans. Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson has crippled himself so bad he has to swallow pain pills like they were candy. Mickey Rourke is finally back and it feels very good to me. He gives the best performance by an actor in 2008 and his Randy "The Ram" Robinson is my favorite character of 2008. This is a small, independent film with a screenplay that knows it's subject. The great thing about this movie is that it's really not first and foremost just about pro wrestling so if you hate pro wrestling you can still love this movie. It is mostly about finding your way back after you have lost your way. It is about a daughter and her estranged father and about a man's love for a woman that just might help him get back on his feet.Randy needs people in his lonely existense like these two women or all may be lost. Rourke is so great here reminding us why he was so iconic in his early career. This is a battered Rourke, an older and wiser actor. There are many parrallels between Rourke and this character he is playing. The movie gets everything about pro wrestling right and the story is very moving and touching. Rourke's speech at the end of the movie is the best moment of acting by anyone this year. Also excellent are Marissa Tomei and one of our best young actresses in Evan Rachel Wood. Marisa Tomei also creates a great character with heart and a gentle grace. Just the thought of watching Rourke makes me want to see this movie again. It is great to see him at the peak of his acting powers again and I missed him.

Vincent Snavely

Special Movie Review - The Wrestler

Sometimes, when one of my friends invites me to go see a movie, I accept on a whim. I do this for two reasons - 1) it's good subject matter for my blog, and 2) I'm interested in movies that I've never heard of. The Wrestler falls in this second category, because before I went and saw it, I had never even heard of the movie. Also, I think I had it confused with the recent horror movie Wrestlemaniac, but either way, I opted to go see this at the theater with my two friends and two other strangers sitting in front of us.

I guess, though, The Wrestler is big stuff. Leading actor Mickey Rourke, who plays the, you know, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, was nominated for an Oscar. But who really cares about the Academy Awards anyway?

So, getting back to the review, Rourke plays big kahuna The Ram, an aging wrestler with little money who continues to fight in the ring while working extra at the local supermarket. The Ram is lonely and fading out of wrestling fast, especially after an extreme bout that triggers a heart attack. But Randy doesn't know anything besides wrestling, and hates to come to terms with the fact that he may just have to retire and work a steady job the rest of his life like all of the other old athletes. After the heart attack, Randy tries to settle his life down; he attempts to date stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) - who is going through a mid-life crisis of her own - and he makes an effort to establish a bond between him and his abandoned daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). We probably wouldn't have a very intense movie without a conflict though, right? Right, and you can probably guess that Randy's newfound interest in social affairs comes crashing down around him when he's rejected by Cassidy and screws up with Stephanie. What's a wrestler to do?


Well, I'll tell you what he does. He fights. And he fights hard.

Mickey Rourke looks good as Randy (well, not literally looks good. You know what I mean), and even the blonde dye-job is badass. The audience is bound to find similarities between The Ram and real-life wrestlers, and he resembles a cross between Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Of course, there's the tight spandex and the hair, but there's also the attitudes and subtle nods to historic wrestlers. One can tell that the film is part appreciation of the wrestling world and part satire of it, at some points showcasing the talents and hard work that go into the sport and other times hinting at the stereotypes that people have towards the intelligence of the athletes.

It's smart and funny, though, and while the film's subject of aging is pretty serious, there's always a dark tinge of comedy. This is obviously purposeful, because we all need a good laugh in a drama, and Rourke gives it to us with The Ram's persona. Surprisingly, Randy Robinson is a really nice guy, which I doubted going into the film. I personally thought Rourke would play a giant tool, and it was pleasant to find that the audience could really side with the main character. Rourke gives Randy a good, but misguided, heart, and while he fails in most of his social skills, he at least attempts to woo the people he loves in his life. For that, it's easy to admire and feel sorry for Randy when he is rejected.

This brings me to something that bothered me throughout the movie, though. I wondered why the hell Cassidy was being such a bitch to Randy. She would flirt all over the place with him, and then, when he inevitably came around to asking her out, she would be wishy-washy and finally turn him down. It was easy to see that she had feelings for him, but in the end, I didn't buy the fact that she was rejecting him because she felt he only wanted her for sex. He already has that - you're giving him a lap dance! There's not much more left! Other than that, though, Marisa Tomei gives a great performance. Even though her character pissed me off more than charmed me, there was still a moment where one felt a bit of sorrow for her along with Randy.


Evan Rachel Wood, though having an infinitesimally small role, succeeds because of her ability to make her character stand out and feel well-known. We only meet her for maybe half an hour, but almost right from the beginning, we feel like we know her more than we should. It might be just her personality that seems familiar, but either way, her presence should be applauded because of the fact that, for the audience to understand the futility that Randy feels, they must feel the emotional strain between Randy and Stephanie.

The theme of growing old is rampant through the movie, a scary thought when one gets down to it. Randy and Cassidy are two people that are directly affected by age, their jobs both hinging on the fact that they need to be strong and look young and beautiful, respectively. There's a slight sinister undertone, one of which urges both characters to give up what they love or lose everything they have. This is ultimately the draw of the film; while it seems the writers were focused on this, the love between Cassidy and Randy, and Randy's relationship with his daughter, the first is what is fleshed out the most and is the most engaging. Cassidy and Randy's romance takes a back seat, and seems less than important in the long run.


The Wrestler is a film that grapples with the audience. From the beginning, there's a weird technique used by the cameramen that is both interesting and disorienting - like a documentary, the camera follows behind Rourke as he walks us through our first night with him. While a little shaky, it's an interesting approach; the only problem I had with it is the fact that I couldn't find a reason why they did this.

There's also some misleading plot events that tend to give the viewer a false representation of what's to come in the film. I think this is really important in regards to entertainment value, because later in the film, all of the plot seems to fall into place and become fairly foreseeable.
Keep them guessing, am I right? Yes I am.


On the other hand, the ending of the film is really disappointing because of the annoying cliffhanger. Okay, allow the audience to gather their own conclusions of what will happen to Randy after he goes back to wrestling... I guess I can see that. BUT! I hated the fact that we had been subjected to Randy's romance with Cassidy only to see nothing happen with them. It seemed pointless at the end and a really big letdown without confrontation. For being a film about wrestling, there was actually very few instances of verbal contact.

Even with a couple disappointments, however, The Wrestler is sensorially appealing with its fighting sequences, emotionally disturbing with its views on aging, and overall, gripping in its telling of a simple story. Rourke is definitely Oscar material here, easily grabbing the viewer with his huge, rippled hands, and you get to see his tanned ass a couple of times. Hear that? YOU SEE MICKEY ROURKE'S ASS. Who's in, ladies? Not to mention the fact that the supporting cast is on their A-game as well, one should have no problem concentrating on the film, and though the runtime is pretty long, it goes by relatively quickly. Chuckles and sadness go hand in hand here, but just be ready for a "FUCKING A!" annoying ending. Well, in my opinion, at least.

(Read Less...)

The Wrestler

Last updated: 2010-01-17 21:29:48 by malikaziz

The Wrestler

The most poignant, powerful films I’ve ever seen were also visually incredible. I have tried to think of an exception, but off the top of my head there are none. Chan Wook Park’s “Vengeance” trilogy, “Amelie”, “The Godfather” trilogy, my personal all-time favourite “Carlito’s Way” and also “Angel Heart”, which had Rourke as protagonist; all those films are visually beautiful, with symbolic compositions and camera movements that worked together with the actors to convey emotion and meaning.

Darren Aronofsky seemed to understand this approach, considering his films (that I’ve watched), the brilliant “Requiem for a Dream” and the poignant “The Fountain”, were both visually intelligent; in “Requiem”, the way a camera moves slowly through an apartment as the woman in it is seen on fast-forward, and in “The Fountain”, the recurring images that echo through the three different narratives and the way no CGI was used at all.

So it is a bit of a mystery why he thought “The Wrestler” should be filmed with no visual structure in mind. For half the film, the camera follows Mickey Rourke’s back and for the other half, it tries other angles without caring much for composition or elegance. Maybe Aronofsky thought this “documental” style would be better, but movies are a very visual medium and images can convey a lot — to rely solely on actors and forget camera work is seldom, if ever, a good idea.

Especially when the script itself is only decent. Yes, the characters act like humans, talk naturally and are coherent. But none of them are particularly complex to begin with, not even the protagonist, which is why the movie is so predictable. From the first time you see Randy “The Ram” Robinson, you can see how he’ll eventually have a nervous breakdown; how the stripper he talks to will eventually say he’s only a customer; how he’ll eventually let his daughter down again. However, Robinson is likeable due to his attempts at doing the right thing, his attention towards fans, his chronic inability to understand his own self-destructive nature. And of course, due to Mickey Rourke’s amazing performance, interpreting a veteran wrestler with perfection: the way he breathes heavily, the way he almost casually cuts his own forehead during a fight, the way he barely reacts to having something thrown at his face. Rourke carries the movie on his back and saves it from being just another fighter flick. And even then, his performance in this film is nowhere near the absolute genius of his work in “Angel Heart” — which went unnoticed, ironically.

The rest of the cast also contributes to make “The Wrestler” more than a schematic screenplay: Marisa Tomei is completely comfortable as a stripper, not hesitating to show her naked body to the camera, which in this case is narratively important (although it’s not very convincing, the way customers reject her for being too old when her body is clearly amazing); and when the movie tries to add some depth to her character, she succeeds in illustrating the stripper’s fear of crossing the line as a professional and allowing further involvement with Randy. Evan Rachel Wood, as the protagonist’s daughter, manages to show the humanity behind her “hate” for her father, which makes her decision in the end of the film understandable. The rest of the cast, comprised of amateur actors, are very convincing.

Aronofsky, sadly, thought this would be enough, and limits himself to pointing the camera to the actors’ faces or following Randy around. When the movie does try a more elaborate composition, it stands out negatively as such due to how rarely this happens. In fact, one of the few moments where I felt Aronofsky was indeed the director is when Randy is going down the stairs to work on a mundane job and, as we follow him, we hear the roar of the crowd as he imagines himself heading for the stage.
The dialogue isn’t great either, but it works in its simplicity due to the protagonist being, after all, a simple man; therefore, it suits him down to the ground. But it is anti-climatic how, in the moment he tries to apologise to his daughter while looking out at the sea, the conversation they have is too simple and Aronofsky cuts the scene too quickly, not letting it go as deep as it could; there’s nothing wrong with a movie being predictable if that contributes to its dramatic power, but when the scenes don’t do justice to their potential, there’s a problem.

“The Wrestler” is an overrated film. Good, entertaining, provides some insight into the fake and self-flagellating world of wrestling; but at its core, it’s another predictable fighter story with no visual style and that could have used more interesting characters that didn’t rely so much on their interpreters being hugely talented. The scene where Jared Leto witnesses Ellen Burstyn under the effect of diet pills and cries afterwards in “Requiem for a Dream” and the moment Hugh Jackman lies on a bathtub with Rachel Weisz in “The Fountain” are both individually more powerful than this competent, but unimpressive film.

Written by André Navarro on April 19th 2009 

(Read Less...)

http://andrenavarro.wordpress.com/

Last updated: 2009-12-21 06:08:39 by andre_navarro

The Wrestler

I admit I stopped watching 15 minutes into the film. It was too mundane. I mean how interesting can the life of an aged wrestler be? Out of curiosity, I browsed through some reviews about the flick. Surprisingly, it received much love all around. So I decided to continue with the movie and I’m glad I did.

The movie is about Randy”Ram”, (Mickey Rouke) a glorified wrestler who 20 years later looks like a loser working at a deli and…   Ok, I guess the movie doesn’t sound appealing to the ladies.

I don’t fancy watching WWE or WWF (whatever) because I know it’s just an act. The wrestlers already know what is going to happen and who’s going to be the winner. They’re just pretending to be ruthless and make the champion seems immune to death. What a bunch of idiots. However, after watching The Wrestler I’m beginning to appreciate them a little more, not for who they become in the spotlight but who they are behind the curtains.

There is one scene which is so grotesque I have to turn away for couple of minutes; After a messy bloodied match between Randy and Necro, the two are treated for their wounds which includes extracting broken glass pieces, staple and barbed wire from their bodies. OUCH! Ewww….

This is not for the faint hearted or people with short interest span but if you’re a WWF lover, all the more you’ll be cheering for your wrestler after you watched this flick.

Mel Says: 7.4/10

The Wrestler

I stopped watching wrestling when I was about 12 years old. My excuse was that I had grown out of believing that what I was watching was real and not completely staged. Watching grown men in their underpants pulling punches at each other didn't provide me with any entertainment anymore. Until recently I didn't understand how physically grueling it is for wrestlers, and how much of an emotional impact it can have on their lives. I never took the time to think of what their lives would be like in 2o years, when they are forced to give up the spandex and take normal jobs. The Wrestler is an answer to that very question. Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, who in his hay day was one of the greatest wrestlers of a generation. But 20 years later, Randy finds himself living in a trailer park alone and working at a convenience store part time. Still, he wrestles as much as he can despite his increased age. But after a particularly bloody battle, Randy suffers a heart attack, leaving him incapable of handling any more matches. Having to give up the one thing in life that he loves, and also loves him back, Randy falls into a depression. He looks to his only friend, a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), for some guidance. But he knows, the only way he could ever be happy is if he can continue wrestling. The Wrestler is a deep and emotional accomplishment that several times brought tears to my eyes.

If you are a fan of the WWE and want to see this film because you expect a documentary on wrestling, you should go ahead and check yourself at the door. Much like the fighting took a back seat to anarchy in Fight Club, wrestling is a distant second to the true core of this film: a man searching for someone to want him. I could think of no actor better suited to this role than the unconventional Mickey Rourke. Early in Rourke's acting career, he did manage to garner attention from critics for his roles in The Pope of Greenwich Village and Barfly. But Rourke was a volatile man and was said to be out of control on set. He was also probably very confused because in his career he has turned down lead roles in Pulp Fiction, The Silence of the Lambs, Rain Man, and The Untouchables. In 1991, Rourke left acting to pursue a career in professional boxing. Over a four year span Rourke was never defeated and had only one draw. Upon his retirement in 1995, Rourke never really made big impact in his transition back to acting. But now in 2008 his luck seems to have finally arrived, and he gives the performance of his career in The Wrestler. Nicolas Cage was originally cast to play Randy, and thinking about that makes me laugh. Cage is a cool guy, but he would have destroyed this movie. Rourke was able to bring so much heart to this role, possibly because him and Randy are practically the same person. But Rourke proves he is no wash up, as he made my eyes well with tears numerous times. One particular scene I should highlight is when Randy reunites with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Randy pours his heart out to his daughter, and the result is a powerful scene that would make a rock's heart skip a beat. Rourke won a Golden Globe for his performance and has now been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. I would not be surprised if he won.

One of the many things that makes The Wrestler work is the stellar direction of Darren Aronofsky. There are so many scenes that I can remember that really struck me beautifully. My favorite was one continuous shot that followed Randy from his bosses office to the meat cutting station in the back of the convenience store where he works. As he walked, the camera slightly bounced up and down as if their was just a man with a handicam following him. During this long walk, a crowd is heard cheering, perhaps waiting for the arrival of Randy. He finally gets to the doorway of the station and stops, and the cheers grow louder. But as he steps through into the room, the crowd noise disappears, and he proceeds to perform his menial job. This exemplifies how overtaken Randy's life has become by his wrestling. The stark contrast between walking through a crowd of people who are screaming your name and then putting on latex gloves and a hairnet really drives the idea of the movie home.

The people in Randy's life, or the lackthereof, provide an extra dose of sentimentality without becoming too maudlin. In keeping with the theme of being washed up, Marisa Tomei plays a stripper passed her prime that doesn't get much business outside of Randy. I find this to be the only unbelievable part of the movie, because even though Tomei is 44, she is not even close to being passed her prime. She proves it in every single scene she is in. But Tomei is so much more than just the nude sidekick in this film. As Randy's only companion, she brings the only sympathy for him to the movie and does a great job doing so. Recently she grabbed an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role, an honor which I'm not so sure was deserved. She gave a great performance, but I didn't see anything award worthy from her. However, I do credit her character with creating some of the most memorable moments in the film. It is her idea that Randy try and contact his daughter Stephanie after his heart attack. In taking her advice, some truly fantastic scenes followed. One scene involves Cassidy helping Randy buy Stephanie a gift at a vintage clothing store. It is here that Randy first interacts with Cassidy outside of the strip club and the two get to know each other as people rather than her being a stripper and him being a customer. Evan Rachel Wood gives a strong turn as Stephanie, who was abandoned by her father and is now aggrevated with his return to her life. Wood is at her finest when she is telling off her dead beat father for the last time, and sends a pang of heartache to the viewer. Her attitude only makes you feel worse for poor Randy, who is genuinely trying to reform.

I didn't know what to expect from The Wrestler. My friend who is a big Mickey Rourke fan built the movie up so high when he told me about it that I was afraid it wouldn't be as effective when i finally watched it. Luckily it was, and I am so grateful I gave it a chance. Whether you are a fan of wrestling or not, it does not matter. The journey you go on to follow this man through his many trials will break your heart and make you appreciate all the things you have in life. My rating (9/10)

(Read Less...)