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The Wrestler has gone way above my expectations. It is a complete masterpiece of sports films. Some people have referred it as the new Raging Bull and the sports film of the decade. I would call it both for these various reasons. It is a very emotional story with a rather heartbreaking storyline, it has very realistic effects and it has absolutely beautiful characters to watch. This film is one of those rare sports films that are actually really serious and have a very powerful meaning. For example, the meaning of the boxing film Cinderella Man is that it is a story or committing yourself for your family because you are poor and are endangered financially. The Wrestler has a very different and very new meaning compared to other sports films that have been made in the past. To me so far, this is the sports film of the decade but not of all time (Raging Bull takes that place). The reason why my expectations weren't very high on The Wrestler was because it was directed by a director that has been extremely bizarre films that have a fantasy of their own (Darren Aronofsky - The Fountain, Requiem For A Dream, Pi). Also, it seemed like an extremely bizarre wrestling film as well but when you watch it, you will discover that it really isn't at all. When you see the name of the title 'The Wrestler' it seems like a rather weak story that doesn't even try and think of a decent name but when you see it, you will see that it didn't even need to try and you would forget about the name of the film, you would just remember what is in it.
Mickey Rourke delivers the best leading male performance of 2008 but not best male performance of 2008. That goes to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight of course. Mickey Rourke is a perfect match for Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. What I truly loved about Randy's character was that people seem like he rips off or copies the actions of another professional wrestler particularly in the WWE such as Hulk Hogan but he isn't. He is a very different wrestler compared to other wrestlers there are in real life. Also, Mickey Rourke was a professional wrestler in his earlier days of his life and that is probably the main reason why Rourke was the best choice for Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. Mickey Rourke has never really had any proper credit for the films he has been in before apart from Sin City and The Wrestler is the film that guarantees him an Oscar nomination or even a win if not Sean Penn. I never thought I could see Mickey Rourke playing a character with a lot of emotion that you could feel sorry for but he has done it. Mickey is good at playing really hulky characters like Randy and Marv which is another key point I am making of why he was so good as Randy. I don't really know who would be able to portray Randy 'The Ram' Robinson any better than Mickey Rourke did. Well, Sylvester Stallone would have been an option because of the body build especially because of Rambo but he would have only done a really shit job because he is a crap actor and he probably knows it. His acting was literally perfect: his body build, his voice, his style of acting and communicating with people. Before I saw The Wrestler, I was surprised that Marisa Tomei was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes but after seeing it I now realise that it is no surprise that she was nominated for that award in that category. Her performance was very slimy with a slimy attitude in which Cassidy really is like. Cassidy is a stripper who works at a strip club. Marisa was really good because she was obviously an older stripper which is part of Cassidy's character and also because Marisa seems like a really irresistible woman for a 40-year-old which is very rare of a woman at her age. She will be a close favourite for an Oscar nomination this year as well.
Darren Aronofsky directs this film like no other director could. He has done some extremely bizarre fantasy stories in the past but this one totally tops them all like a hammer sticking a nail in a wall. He has created a story that I didn't think would turn out as good as it really did. He has finally created a film that some people won't be bewildered or confused by as he did for Requiem For A Dream, Pi and especially The Fountain. When you see the poster of the film for the first time, I think that it looks like a golden wrestling film with a real fantasy story but it isn't a fantasy at all as I have already said. He has directed a film that will always be remembered as the best wrestling film of all time if not one of the top sports film of all time. This is without a doubt Darren Aronofsky's best film and it is as simple as that. The script was originally written which doesn't really happen very often with sports films. It had very original characters and with a very original plot so it is better that way.
I would love to see Aronofsky make more dramas like this one with a very powerful meaning to it. The Wrestler is certainly Mickey Rourke's best performance which for some reason feels like a breakthrough performance for him even though he must be in his 50s or 60s. I choose Mickey Rourke over Sean Penn for Best Leading Actor definitely. The Wrestler is a rather memorable performance from Marisa Tomei which makes this film the best from her too as well as In The Bedroom.
The Wrestler is one of my favourite films of 2008 without a single doubt in my mind. It is the best sports film since Cinderella Man which makes it the fourth best sports film of all time after that film and Cinderella Man and Bend It Like Beckham. I will always remember this film as more than a masterpiece. I would best remember it as a new, creative and artistic film that brings a bright and clever future to its genre both drama and sport.
9/10
