Movie Review: The Wrestler (2008)
Mickey Rourke was born to play this role
Photo: Fox Searchlight
Reviewing movies I absolutely love is always difficult for me. I can either take steps to sound extremely profound or I can just slather them with meaningless adjectives that tell you nothing about the film itself as much as it tells you I have a thesaurus readily available at my side and a wealth of adverbs I have been waiting to try out. The Wrestler is one of those films that I find myself having very little more to say than I loved it, Rourke was great and Darren Aronofsky once again proves he is one of the most talented directors working today. Of course, that doesn't fulfill my word count quota, or give you much to go on. Fortunately, there is a little more left to be said.
The cast includes Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Marcia Jean Kurtz. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"The Wrestler" is a Fox Searchlight Pictures release, directed by Darren Aronofsky and is rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.
Rourke embodies that broken down piece of meat he referred to and his every action in this film feels wholly authentic. Over the course of the first act we get to know and like Randy. He's clinging to very little. He's been locked out of his mobile home and he's sleeping in his car. He works at the loading dock at a local grocery store during the week and wrestles in half-filled community centers on the weekend. Estranged from his daughter and in love with a stripper (Marisa Tomei), he is a man on his last leg and he is looking to make a connection before it is too late.
Of course, all of this sounds very cliché and very Rocky Balboa; the broken down athlete, the absent child and the necessary female connection. Well, perhaps, and since I love the Rocky films (not V, of course) maybe that is part of why I enjoyed this film so much. However, this film hit a note the Rocky franchise hasn't breached since the original back in 1976 and while I had wished it had steered clear of a few cliché moments here and there it remains one of my favorite films of 2008.
Watching The Wrestler you feel as if you get to take a piece of Randy home with you. You have no idea how exactly he ended up in such dire straits, but after an opening credit sequence previewing the career he once had and an earlier scene in the film showing him as the respected old blood and his camaraderie with the new blood it speaks to Randy's character and Rourke owns every minute of it. You will find yourself rooting for him whether he is in a wrestling match, begging for his daughter's forgiveness or trying to score a date with a stripper. Rourke has created a character to love, and along with director Darren Aronofsky a movie you will love even more.
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It's nice when an actor more known for other things (like Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man and Sin City) can do something so different and pull it off.
I'm very curious about this.
Probably the movie I wan to see the most…
I've watched this 3 times already. It's one of those movies where I just want to watch it with everyone I know.
I just got back from watching this movie. I agree with everything you said. I loved it and Rourke deserves the Oscar right now.
Also, just in case you care, most of the film was shot in or around where I live. I live in Rahway, NJ and its mentioned a few times. They also shot one of the matches at the local recreation center 5 minutes from my house.
I had no idea that it was shot here so I was very surprised to see areas I go to or drive by, including the strip club, every day.
I give it a 10/10 and that rating has nothing to do with it being shot around my neighborhood.
I admit that I don't follow wrestling, so I am ignorant to the sport. But I just have a hard time buying into a character whose profession is a sport I consider to be fake. Once again, I am ignorant to the sport so if anyone would like to share history of it to change my impression, I actually would like to hear your comments.
How do you fake a somersault? How do you fake falling hard on your back? Wrestling is no more fake than the stunts in a Buster Keaton movie or a Jackie Chan movie. When you hear that Chan has injuries from all the stunts he did do you wonder how because movies are "fake"?
Wrestling is scripted, just like a Jackie Chan film, but the injuries and stunts are just as real. And wrestlers do that every week.
i was looking forward to seeing the movie, which IMHO is very overrated. Rourke turns in a fine acting performance and carries a disjointed and otherwise very disappointing film. i am familiar with the *sport* and have no biases. i am a pop culture fan and pro wrestling falls more into the genre of entertainment, altho these guys have to know the basic wrestling moves. back to the movie, the editing and directing were poorly executed. Marissa Tomei's performance was shallow and forced. i am glad Rourke is nominated but that is as far as it needs to go. (i am not entirely certain he deserves a nod over Leo in Revolutionary Road.) Guns and Roses was a Wrestler positive as was the Springsteen song which plays during the credits at the end of the movie; given the other original songs nominated this year, the Boss should win. that should be the only win for this movie. i am truly sorry to have this reaction as i had hoped for so much more.