I gave The Wrestler a well-deserved "A" when I reviewed it last December and even still, when the Blu-ray arrived I wasn't immediately interested in giving it another watch. It wasn't because I didn't like it, obviously, I just wasn't certain it was the movie I wanted to watch at the moment. This film is an emotional roller coaster and I wasn't sure I was ready for the ride. However, there is something about this film that instantly invites you into its story. The opening shot of Randy "The Ram" Robinson played by Mickey Rourke, sitting in a chair, all alone in a large room as the camera slowly moves in. The documentary style of the cinematography and the beaten down appearance of this gladiator in tights grabs you immediately and never lets go. I can honestly say watching this film a second time was just as good as the first. Randy remains just as charismatic and just as welcoming. His story is filled with so many downs you can't help but hope he will one day get back up.

The Wrestler was ultimately nominated for Oscars for both of its main actors (Rourke and Marisa Tomei) and Rourke ended up winning the Golden Globe Award for his performance. The Wrestler was one of the most talked about films of 2008 after it won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in September and remains one of the better films of 2008 — number three is where it fell on my top ten.

As for Fox's Blu-ray presentation, the film looks absolutely phenomenal although it does appear they may have upped the color contrast just a bit as I don't remember the images being this striking, but that is more of a note and should not be taken as a complaint. The documentary handheld style of the film remains intact with excellent film grain preservation and a DTS-HD audio track turns your home into your very own theater.

However, I already knew the film was great, but I didn't expect one of the better making-of docs I have seen in a long, long time. When I first looked at the features and saw this would be yet another Darren Aronofsky film without an audio commentary included I was a bit pissed, but the 42-minute "Within the Ring" making-of documentary is one of the best I have seen. This doc covers everything along with brief inclusions of some of the smaller moments on set to the intricacies of filming a wrestling match with a staple gun and exploding glass windows.

You will hear producer Scott Franklin talk about how he helped develop the film and how they approached it considering the small amount of money they had to make it. The idea of approaching the WWF angle or making a period piece were out of the question due to licensing and other issues that would force it over budget. Ultimately they had a 35 day shoot and you even get a brief moment were you see one of the visual effects editors working on the effects, on set, on Avid Media Composer on a MacBook Pro, the very same computer I am typing up this review on. Still think you can't make movies on your own?

You learn how Aronofsky didn't storyboard any of the film, saying it would limit the options and the openness, as well as what Mickey would come up with. You will see Darren with his father, you'll see him walk into the middle of a scene and rough up Mickey a bit all while Evan Rachel Wood is still delivering her lines. Then you will watch as he describes how he wants a scene to be shot and watch it being shot exactly as he is describing it. It is an excellent piece anyone interested in filmmaking is sure to enjoy immensely.

Beyond that the rest of the features include some deleted scenes, the music video for the Golden Globe winning song "The Wrestler" by Bruce Springsteen and The Wrestler Roundtable, a feature already available online featuring Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Lex Luger, "Diamond" Dallas Page, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, which was moderated by Damon Andrews. I have two of them featured right here and you can get the full five-part series here.

Everything beyond the film and the "Within the Ring" feature don't really matter. This disc is obviously worth the purchase for the film alone, but that doc makes it a must buy.

Related post categories: Home Video News, Reviews : The Wrestler

Permalink   |   RSS Feed | 1 comment