Film Review-The Wrestler

Ah, the oh so controversial world of  professional wrestling  finally gets a worthy portrayal on screen that is supported by an artistic director (Darren Aronofsky) and an incredible performance by Mickey Rourke. The Wrestler follows the life of a once-at-the-top-of-his-game pro wrestler who sees his heyday during the 1980s pass him by. Randy ” The Ram” Robinson is battling heart problems, constant evictions and a daughter who holds his very existence in pure contempt. Throughout the progress of this absolutely heartbreaking story, Mickey Rourke  does not fail or come up short in convincing us that he is broken down physically and emotionally with nothing to lose. Wrestling is without a doubt the only thing that can get his life back on track when he has a shot at redemption by facing Ayatollah, two decades after both athletes were in their respective primes.

Now, the average person will go on into this movie with prejudgments about how wrestling is “fake” and it’s all one big circus. However, what The Wrestler does is depart from this notion by demonstrating the brutal environment that pro wrestlers compete in just to put on a show for the fans in attendance. It also shows the viewer just how much of an adrenaline rush it really for these athletes to risk everything in their lives. The “Ram” is in no condition to put himself through physical strain due to his health complications, but somehow we want him to defy all odds  and regain the prestige he once held in the square circle. His reunion with his teenage daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood, is one of the most depressing aspects of the entire film, which adds to the resonance that Rourke’s character provides. Marissa Tomei plays a stripper who tends to Randy on a nightly basis to provide customer service, but eventually finds an intangible quality that separates him from other men. The on screen chemistry of Rourke and Tomei is definitely present but Rourke’s performance undoubtedly carries the dialogue of these two interesting characters.

It is quite evident that this film had a relatively low budget, but that does not take away from the fact that The Wrestler is an extremely well made motion picture that brings forth aesthetics of the realm of human emotion displayed on screen. The cinematography is handled with artistic expertise in that the first several shots of the film don’t exactly show Mickey Rourke’s face, which perhaps serves as an allegory to his dwindling Hollywood career of  the past decade. The revitalization of this actor’s career has officially taken place with a film that is not about wrestling, but about a man who realizes his sole purpose for living. With its ambiguous ending, The Wrestler is proves to be worth more than its somewhat dull title by being one of the best movies of 2008.

OVERALL RATING- 3.5 out of 4 stars

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