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A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit...
Mickey Rourke: Randy 'The Ram' Robinson
Darren Aronofsky has always been a Director whom has been close to my heart. Whether it was the film that blew my world away, the much loved The Fountain, or the cryptic puzzler Pi, or the emotionally entrancing Requiem for a Dream, whether it's any of these Darren always proves to be a man of vision. Why am I not surprised Aronofsky's latest, The Wrestler proves to be equally successful? It's because it's a firestorm of truth, a blur of sophistication and a hurricane of a man's struggle with his career and life.
Which is essentially a question of stop doing what you love and die, or keep doing it and go out doing the thing you love most.
Let's just say Mickey Rourke was born to play this part, Mickey is in my eyes The Ram, he envelopes the part and engulfs it as his own. It's magical, wondrous and dazzling without even breaking a sweat. The Wrestler isn't just about wrestling, but about a man, about this living, breathing being, whom is alone, and lonely. His passion is his hope, his hope is life and when his daughter doesn't want to know, and a potential new love of his life, he is a broken man. He has only one thing left, and age and a bad heart have caught up with him, he has to go back to the only thing he knows.
Rourke embodies the struggle Randy faces, and we're along every step of the way as he fights not just in the ring but outside of it also. I find myself in love with everything Rourke does, every syllable he mutters, every breath he takes. This is the role he was born for, he shines, and a film about Mickey is begging to be made.
''The eighties fucking ruled, man, until that pussy Cobain came and fucked it all up.''
Another shining light of The Wrestler is the gorgeous music by Clint Mansell, using a combination of rock and heavy composites, with dazzling results. Shots are used effectively albeit shakily, different to anything Aronofsky has ever done. The backward shooting of Rourke or his daughter is used effectively, as done in a part of Dark Knight, and numerous video games. It's an original way of panning and capturing a moment or series of events.
Acting wise Mickey Rourke is backed up by a wonderful array of fellow Wrestlers and fans. Not to mention two Actresses whom shine for this film and story.
Marisa Tomei as Cassidy really acts to perfection in this, also showing a duality mutual respect for strippers too, in the fact, that what they do is hard work too. Wrestling maybe hard, but pole dancing and dancing also is a complex grueling task. Her performance and chemistry with Rourke boosts this film into the stratosphere of love and new found love. The way she helps him find his daughter a present or the fact she cares enough about him to meet him outside of work is heart achingly real.
Evan Rachel Wood as Stephanie Robinson, plays the estranged daughter of Randy all too well. Shes resentful, hurt and mad at him, in the sense he hasn't been much of a father to her. Many of us may take her dispositon towards him as unpleasant but understandable considering her life without her father's influence. As he faces his heart complication, a chance for a rekindled bond between them emerges, and a one to one presents a new awakening for their love for one another. This however is short lived, as one thing leads to another and Randy let's her down yet again. A scene with the pair on the beach, gives us one of the most moving parts between a father and daughter.
Overall, The Wrestler is a very powerful film about love, passion and loneliness. A love for something you can't live without, a life that knows Wrestling, that sacrifice is not an option,where anything is possible no matter what the consequence. Mickey Rourke is the reason to see this film, his performance is the best of his career, his Sin City gravelly voice is a pleasure to hear and his body the pinnacle of experience and ripe for this role. Darren Aronofsky and Rourke etch out a place in time for a notch in greatness, the ending being one that leaves what happens, up to our imaginations, and Darren knows this is the cleverest way to play upon us. For leaving it open to suggestion and discussion, is to envision and emblazon one thing to us, and that is a message of hope.
''In this life you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. Alot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again, the only one that's gonna tell me when I'm through doing my thing, is you people here.''
9/10
