The Wrestler Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
| Mickey Rourke | Randy 'The Ram' Robinson |
| Marisa Tomei | Cassidy |
| Evan Rachel Wood | Stephanie Robinson |
| Mark Margolis | Lenny |
| Todd Barry | Wayne |
| Wass Stevens | Nick Volpe |
| Judah Friedlander | Scott Brumberg |
| Ernest Miller | The Ayatollah |
| Dylan Keith Summers | Necro Butcher |
| Tommy Farra | Tommy Rotten |
| Mike Miller | Lex Lethal |
| Marcia Jean Kurtz | Admissions Desk Woman |
| John D'Leo | Adam |
| Ajay Naidu | Medic |
| Gregg Bello | JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen |
| Darren Aronofsky |
8.40 out of 10 (571 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Mickey! Mickey! Mickey! Mickey!
posted on 29 Aug 2009"Hey Mickey, you are so fine, you are so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey, hey Mickey". Those infamous music lyrics are from Toni Basil 80's hit song "Mickey". Who knows? Maybe Toni was dedicating the song to 80's acting icon Mickey Rourke. The Mick powerfully acted in such 80's cult classics as: "Body Heat", "Diner", "Rumble Fish", "9 ½ Weeks", and "Barfly". Rourke roared on screen with magnetism, coolness, and self-assurance in the 80's. Mickey did not have many obstacles to wrestle back then except: women, fame, and money; and those are matches made in Hollywood heaven. Then the 90's rolled around and Roarke hit rock bottom! And there the internal wrestling with personal traumas, egoistic insubordination, and lost opportunities took a toll on Rourke physically and emotionally. Well, the good news is that the vigorous thespian roar of Rourke is back in a winning way with his superb performance as wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler". Rourke has been gradually climbing the comeback ladder in recent years with impressive supporting roles in "The Pledge", "Sin City", and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". However, those were just opening acting matches for the main event of Rourke's comeback in the form of "The Wrestler". Director Darren Aronofsky's heartbreaking but aspiring film rams it in as one of the best of the year. I was in awe in how Robinson's character is analogous to the man Mickey Rourke himself. But the commending aspect is how Rourke can somehow differentiate & assimilate between the two with his poignant performance. The fictional character Randy "The Ram" Robinson was a famous 80's wrestler with a cult following who somehow lost his ways in the 90's and thereafter. The present Robinson is lonely, contrived, and melancholy; he still has a passion to wrestle, but he is not wrestling in the same packed arenas he used to headline at his peak. Now he wrestles for little money at small wrestling shows at VFW halls. Randy is also a part-time grocery employee in order to make ends meat. He visits a city strip club on occasion mainly to see Cassidy, a middle-aged stripper with a heart of gold. Randy and Cassidy are not exactly lovebirds but it's the closest thing to a romance in "The Wrestler". Marisa Tomei's work as Cassidy continues to demonstrate that her raw acting proficiency continues at a consistency level. Note to Academy: Please give the Mona Marisa a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Randy also tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter Stephanie, who despises him due to childhood abandonment. Their heartfelt emotional roller-coaster scenes are of the supreme handkerchief material. The underrated Evan Rachel Wood was potent as Stephanie, and hope her performance in "The Wrester" is a call to Hollywoodland to give her more credibility as one of today's best young actresses. Another nice slamming touch to "The Wrestler" is how Aronofsky truly depicts on how wrestlers support each other and are affable to one another outside the ring. Robert Siegel's screenplay of "The Wrestler" will be hard to defeat as the championing one of 2008. It was that strong, genuine, and reflective! The film's cinematography, editing, and art direction are also bona fide contenders to deservingly receive Oscar noms. And what can I say about Mr. Aronofsky, you get straight A's Mr. A for your tour-de-force direction of "The Wrestler"; hope an Oscar ring comes your way Mr. A! Even though "The Wrestler" had a tag-team cast and crew to make it a winning film, the ultimate ringleader of the movie was Mickey Rourke with his astonishing performance which should present him with a Best Actor Oscar and a legitimate resurrection back to the film industry! Keep blowing our mind Mickey! Its guys like you Mickey that inspire us to reach for the top no matter how many slams life gives us! ***** Excellent
Believe the hype- this one's a winner.
posted on 29 Aug 200920 years or so ago, as the eighties dispersed into nothing more than memory- so to did the acting career of Mickey Rourke. A once glorious, once rugged young talent whose forthrightness got the better of him- landing the once promising, once striking up and comer a place on Hollywood's cold shoulder and a fruitless career in the Boxing ring.A handful of decent comeback turns aside, Rourke has long been considered a lost and wasted talent who, given the right attitude, could've flourished and seized those early day likings to late greats' James Dean, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando.Mirrored to an extent, then, is Rourke's chronicle by the character he plays (and how) in 'The Wrestler'- Randy "the Ram" Robinson. A weary, washed-up wrestler. A has-been. A nobody. A nostalgic, runaway father who lives and breathes his in-ring pseudonym. Back in the mid to late eighties, Randy was a star. Now, 20 years on, he's a loner. A mountain reduced to a mound. A champ turned chump. When he's not roaming the rings of the weekend amateur wrestling circuit, he's pumping iron, shooting steroids and hauling ass at the local deli.All in all, Randy's a nice guy: likable, easy going and even Christ-like but after suffering a serious heart attack, the inevitable bad news is dealt: wrestle again and you could die. Now- Randy has a choice to make: go on living the only life he knows or get moral and stage one last crack at righting his wrongs: patch things up with his daughter and settle down with his favourite stripper.The role of Randy is perfect, then, for Rourke. Not only does it give the 52 year old a shot at "the" lead many have been aching to see him grapple with for years, but it also allows him the substance and space to churn out the performance of his life. Beneath his unsightly exterior still stirs the wit, charm and dazzling panache that once promised so much. Mickey Rourke is, perhaps, the only actor out there who could approach this hearty part with the means, motives and memories to draw upon so effortlessly. For Rourke, this is a crossroads. A hairpin. A renaissance. A turn that sees the life of a wayward actor congregate with that of a fictional pugilist to summon something heartfelt, bona-fide and pretty dam special.Directed by the visionary Darren Aronofsky, 'The Wrestler' is a moving and masterfully shot treatise on human nature and endeavour. The acclaimed cult director, whose former triumphs include 1998's cyber-surreal 'π' and 2000's stunning 'Requiem for a Dream', could be described as a dazzling mix of Davids' Lynch and Fincher with a generous pinch of Kubrick thrown in- and yet he is none of them. He's a budding maker of dense psychological dramas that centre on the self-seclusion of characters trapped inside their own bubbles of being.Although considerably different in terms of visual style to Aronofsky's previous three features, 'The Wrestler' s a quite superb slice of American cinema that displays the 41 year old helmer's resourcefulness and new found maturity as a director. His 'Wrestler' is a smart yet simple tapestry of hand-held shots, moving cameras and tracks. Aronofsky's crafted an instant classic of the independent sphere that deserves attention. 'The Wrestler' is his most authentic film to date: a toned-down, slowed-down character piece with a big, brave heart.Forget what you think you know about wrestling. This film is far a field from fake and a mere whisker from perfection. It's a morality-play, of sorts, but without the histrionic moralising and feel good summit that sugar coated this sport film to that. Yes, the proverbial blood, sweat and tears are there alright but this isn't a rewarding underdog tale or rags to riches yarn. This is neorealism. This is life: unfair, unfulfilling and un (bloody) reliable. Aronofsky drags cinema back onto the streets and hones in on reality. The nice guys aren't nice, they finish last and the 'heroes' keel over on their way to save the day. Yet, 'The Wrestler' emerges a flat-out winner: an often gritty, sometimes comical affair that fluctuates between the rough and the fine, the tough and the touching.An unknown yet high-class supporting cast also come to pass- leaving nil to be desired which, ultimately, brings me back to Mickey Rourke who'll no doubt bare the brunt of the film's justifiable ovation. Darren Aronofsky steers his leading man towards a standout turn that could see the born-again thesp' land a fair few gongs this season. An Oscar?.No. I think Sean Penn's got that one sewn up but for such a question to prompt a pause for thought says an awful lot. Rourke is magnificent. Memorable, even, in this able all American gutter film that's going to give this year's best a run for their money.
Bloody Brilliant
posted on 25 Aug 2009I am no fan of American style wrestling, yet this superb tale of an ageing, fading wrestler is a triumph. Lead, Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson delivers a career defining performance of pathos and power. The wrestling scenes are visceral and blood soaked, and the supporting cast consistently excel, however brief "their moment". Reputedly shot for under $7m, it does not have a low budget feel to it, proving once again that fine acting and a good script beat dollars and CGI. The dressing room and "backstage" shots feature working wrestlers adding to the authenticity of the film.The lead story of "The Ram's" demise is mirrored by the supporting sub plot of lap dancer Cassidy, who also "sells" her flesh with time running out on her. Well played by the marvellous Marisa Tomei, who at 44, still has a body to be proud of, the part is underwritten and neatly contrasts with the hell-bound "Ram".Evan Rachel Wood plays a thoughtful cameo as Stephanie,Randy's estranged daughter, providing the film's most poignant scene as her father takes her to visit a childhood seaside haunt to reminisce and build bridges."Raw" most accurately defines the films ambiance, whether it is the bruised and broken flesh of the ring, Randy's explicit "tail-gunning" of a good time girl when he should have his mind on taking his daughter out for dinner, or his plaintiff desperation at pursuing the only thing he knows, wrestling, against the odds. It is rumoured that Nicholas Cage was screen tested for this role, which is odd, because it reprises some of the themes of Cage's role in "Leaving Las Vegas". The headlong crash to destruction, the "tart with a heart" and a worthy script feature in both. A carefully chosen soundtrack ably underpins the proceedings, although Bruce Springsteen's custom written "The Wrestler" is absurdly tossed away with the credits rather than interwoven into the story.My only real concern is where the audience is for this. The young and pre- teenage audience, the bedrock fans of wrestling are excluded by its certification. And the casual adult audience may not be attracted by the ostensibly "uncool" subject matter. That would be a shame, as a sophisticated audience will appreciate the Shakespearian Tragedy of the plot, and Rourke's finest two hours.
Wrestling is fake ... or is it? Mickey Rourke gives an incredible performance.
posted on 25 Aug 2009Not since Requiem for A Heavyweight has Hollywood produced a more intense movie in the sports genre. A beat up, over-the-hill wrestler portrayed as a hero who finds purpose and redemption in what he does best. Mickey Rourke gives one of the great performances in the sports' movie genre. His performance as the wrestler ranks up there with John Garfield's performance as Charlie Davis in Body and Soul and Robert DeNiro's performance as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. In some respects Mr. Rourke's performance exceeds that of the aforementioned actors. In addition, kudos to Marisa Tomei's powerful performance as a stripper who befriends the wrestler. What makes this movie even more impressive is that it avoids becoming another sappy Hollywood melodrama and instead stays true to the story, which is about the wrestler. After watching this movie, one may come away with a different impression of professional wrestling. Not a mere bunch of overgrown clowns who make fools of themselves, in this movie they are portrayed with dignity and as performers who do difficult and dangerous work. This movie is wonderful. Congratulations to Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei for a job well done.This movie also provides a respectful and sympathetic portrayal of deli countermen, those unsung workers who toil behind the counters at delis, bagel shops, bodegas and supermarkets. How often is a deli counterman the subject of anything, much less a motion picture? After watching this movie you will have a greater understanding and respect for those hardworking fellows, taken for granted, who toast the bread and slice the meat for a hungry public. Indeed, this movie is actually a tribute to working-class people who, like the wrestler, toil to earn a living.
Challenging Time Again
posted on 25 Aug 2009Darren Aronofsky's latest installment, The Wrestler inspects human body and inherent spirit. Once you are in the wrestling show business where all focal attractions do demand a body of granite and a soul of masterfully mimicked super-dominance, then you and all your Fans know that your body can't quit on you. That it truly NEVER will. You are not a mortal, rather a super-product, a mythical phenom, a Demigod. Did you believe that? According to popular belief, even better/worse, experience: every body quits. That's why everybody quits. Uhm. It is a question of when, not a question of if. According to our current knowledge, at least.The name of the game is rather straightforward here: this is good, old fashioned, raw cinematic narration without all the detail work Aronofsky is fond of using. Not this time though: the rawness of the environment - inner/spiritual and outer environment - this story unfolds in demands to place you in a position in which you could scientifically relate to the imminent/evident stench of colliding male bodies. The bodies that are criticized by many, having no clue with two lost holes in it about how demanding it is to do what these entertainers are doing. And there is no proper place and proper time to rest, either. The next match is always coming up, regardless how well the wrestler performed a couple of weeks ago. The protagonist of the story is in a constant escape. He escapes from a painfully blank, solitary reality on a match-to-match basis, exhibiting his run in front of the Fans, FOR the Fans. There is no quitting for the spirit, there is no quitting for the body, neither.Mickey Rourke's portrayal of '80's Wrestling Phenom Randy "The Ram" Robinson is as close to flawless as you will ever care wishing for. This is a hardened, still-muscular, wrinkly soul in a hardened, still-muscular, wrinkly body. Body though ages, and the soul may remain playful. So eager to deliver. So ready to please the grateful Fans or to fuel the passion of everyday average haters. Does not matter.What matters is: to be reacted to. Being reacted to is what defines a Star. Once reaction time is over: Stardom is over. When you finally check on your watch though to see if time indeed have passed you by, then there is the painfully blatant potentiality of a possible realization - shocking you to the very core, needles to say - that it just: had, indeed.The film delivers solid humane drama as you witness a Randy Robinson who has absolutely NO ONE and NOTHING in his life. No one and nothing except the Fans, whom are distant admirers of a distant, pretty much mythological figure. They have zero relation towards- and interest in Randolph Robinson. A Superstar Wrestler is not a human, oh, come on, did you truly believe that they are? No. They indeed pack considerate charisma and consorting, absolutely amazing human autonomy, each blown deliberately to Larger Than Life, even Larger Than You Could Imagine size.The point comes when Rourke's character has to face with the fact that his Over The Top Persona is no longer sustainable by the body his spirit is occupying. A spirit that is forced to be restless, a spirit that always have been forced to be restless, so it could generate profit in a ring that dictates rules by the amount of pain one signs on for. The film reveals necessary ignorance towards what the body would recognize as a comfortable pace, as result of the constant necessity to perform. The necessity to deny the – check this - reality of reality. Because only the Fans do represent the aspect of reality that the Wrestler lives and performs for.What fuels this inner stance is the constant urge, even need, to force the body to function as that of a Superhuman. Rourke's character challenges Time, telling the Ultimate Conqueror that he is still capable of doing what he could do in prime times. Time accepts the challenge.As mentioned, The Wrestler is solid drama. Raw and honest drama. The best aspect of the installment is that it remains entirely truthful to its main agenda of keeping these admirable qualities intact, non-tinkered with. The Ram's extremely scarce interpersonal relationships are portrayed precisely. A disappointed daughter is delivered as an acceptable aspect, yet, the relationship between Rourke's character and a prostitute acquaintance tells even more about the Ram. There is a scene in which the protagonist has absolutely no one to turn to, so he chooses to express his doubts and feelings towards his prostitute acquaintance. The woman's reaction is a perfect representation of how Rourke's character is situated in this world.Aronofsky's newest delivery to date does not want you to drop your jaw in amazement, neither it wants to pick it up and put it in places a decent girl never even heard of. Instead, this motion picture delivers a thorough portrayal of a human state of saddening solitary and remembered, dim fame. The Ram remains a Fighter, nevertheless. A Fighter who has Faith, a Faith that remains Indestructible. You know what Faith is? It is the thing you lose if you did not even have it.The Ram remembers joy, and there is nothing more sour than but the remembrance of joy. This particular remembrance comes to the protagonist as a persistent shadow, leaving us to wonder if is it but the shadow, or is it the tired flesh that tells us more honestly about who the Wrestler really is. A dim fame may always come back to haunt you in its full glory, once you start to long for it for the sufficient time and with the sufficient passion. The question is, which The Ram has to face with, as well: is it advisable to desire that fame again, or is it more fruity to let it go? opiniononion.blogspot.com
One of the most disappointing movies I''ve ever seen.
posted on 25 Aug 2009This movie really winds me up. I have never seen a movie that disappointed me more than this one. I'll explain why.First of all, there is absolutely NO story. It's just a collection of boring and uninteresting events. Man has job. Man loses job because of his health. Man in love with woman. Man tries to band with child. Man goes to work again. That's it. I've actually seen it twice because I wanted to know if I was missing anything, but I still can't get the point of it.Mickey Rourke plays a good role but he isen't great. To be honest I think he doesen't deserve a BAFTA, it's character is way to flat for that. And the same count's for the lovely Marisa Tomei.Very, very disappointing.
The Last Wrestling Maneuver
posted on 25 Aug 2009Twenty years ago, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a successful wrestler; now he is decadent, living alone in a trailer, working part time in a supermarket and wrestling in the weekends. After a wrestling match, Randy has a heart attack in the dressing room and is submitted to a by-pass surgery; his doctor prohibits him to use steroids and wrestle again. Randy decides to retire and proposes the stripper and lap dancer Pam "Cassidy" (Marisa Tomei) to move to live with him. However she does not accept and suggests him to approach to his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) that has deep wounds in her relationship with her father. Randy gets also a full-time job in the supermarket, but he does not deal well with the world outside the arena and decides to return to the sport were he is recognized by his fans."The Wrestler" is a good, but overrated movie, with a drama that is very common with athletes when the end of their careers comes. Mickey Rourke returns like a phoenix in a role of a decadent wrestler that wasted his life and destroyed the relationship with his own daughter and has adaptation problems with the world outside the arena. The damage caused by the use of steroids should have been more emphasized to alert the youths that use this type of drug believing they are harmless. The gorgeous Marisa Tomei is also great and shows a magnificent body. Evan Rachel Wood has a minor but important role. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Lutador" ("The Fighter")
Wow!!!
posted on 19 Aug 2009I saw the movie at the world premiere in Venice and Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky and other crew members were also in the audience. When the credits began, people were jumping out of their seats (including me) applauding and cheering for more than 15 minutes. It was really amazing. I have been a Rourke fan for 10 years now and to me Darren Aronofsky is one of the greatest directors of the last ten years. So when I entered the cinema my expectations were as high as never before. But this 40 Euro ticket was worth every cent. I never saw such a moving performance by "Sir Eddie Cook" who played Randy "the Ram" with such authenticity that I was paralyzed for almost two hours. And that's because Rourke isn't just playing "Ram", he IS "Ram", at least a part of him (there are many parallels to his real troubled past). Aronofsky really did a great job and really pushed the actors to their limits. It is amazing to see how a good director can turn such a simple story into one of the greatest movies I have ever seen (and I watch hundreds of movies). So everybody who grew up in the 80's with wrestling, hard rock and Nintendo or just loves movies should see this - at least ten times. God bless you Darren, Mickey and all the other crew members for the best cinema experience I have ever had. no doubt about it.
The anti-Rocky?
posted on 19 Aug 2009SPOILER ALERT: Another exercise in unrelenting bleakness from Darren Aronofsky this time buoyed by a ferocious Mickey Rourke performance. Rourke is Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a pro-wrestler WAY past his prime. He makes a comeback in neither his personal nor professional life --- this isn't ROCKY! Draw your own conclusions what the final shot of the film means. Aronofsky and scriptwriter Robert Siegel pull no punches and never hit a sentimental note even during what should be sentimental scenes, particularly involving Rourke and his estranged daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood (finally living up to the potential she showed in THIRTEEN). There are moments of uncomfortable humor mixed into the squalor (Rourke taking a job as a deli clerk is particularly bizarre). Marisa Tomei is the film's love interest (maybe anti-love interest is more appropriate). She's a stripper with a lot of her own baggage. All of the acting is excellent and Rourke gives one of those astonishing performances (like Brando in ON THE WATERFRONT and Meryl Streep in SOPHIE'S CHOICE) that later become legendary.
Riveting and truly touching
posted on 19 Aug 2009I have not seen much of Mickey Rourke's work. Last time I saw him was in Sin City. That was not much of screen time for him as that movie was segmented in three parts. After that, I watched this movie with Rourke in main lead. This movie is very deserving of a best picture nomination.This is one roller-coaster ride of emotions. This movie is simply perfect. And I think Mickey Rourke should have won the award for best actor in lead role. Gripping,deeply engrossing and outstanding, this movie is surely one of the best of the year. Those who thought Mickey Rourke is a bad actor should reconsider. This is probably his best performance. Give this movie a chance. Don't miss out on this one.And yeah, I've got one last thing to say. Maybe people are right. - He does not look how he used to before, but goddammit he's still standing there and he's Mickey Rourke !! :)
So Much More Than A Sports Film
posted on 17 Aug 2009Few films that have been made in recent years pack the emotional punch The Wrestler brings. Darren Aronofsky's deft direction assures that the emotion never feels strained, and that nearly every moment rings true. The maturity he shows in letting the actors take the center stage is surprising considering this is only his fourth film. The centerpieces of this film, though, are Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, both of whom give brutally honest portrayals of two people hanging onto their dreams by a thread. Rourke delivers each line with such conviction that you soon forget he is playing a fictional character. You can see the hurt in his eyes as he is likely recalling his own tumultuous career. Not for one second does his performance ring false, and for that, he deserves the highest of praise. Tomei is very understated in a role that could have easily fallen to tired clichés, but she digs beneath Pam's good looks to find the fear she feels as she begins to enter a new phase in her life. The film has its problems; I wish it was about 10-20 minutes longer because I wanted to spend more time with Randy and Pam, and a few scenes feel slightly out of place, I call to mind the exchange between Randy and his daughter at the pier. Overall, The Wrestler is so much more than a sports film, it is an emotionally wrenching look at a man who doesn't know how to put the pieces of his life back together.
One of the Best Sports Movies Ever Made!
posted on 17 Aug 2009This is one of the best sports movies ever made. But 'Rocky' (1976) it's not. It's a graphic, realistic film shot in documentary style about an aging wrestler confronting his mortality and his failed life at the end of his career ("20 Years Later"), and near his own end.As a long time wrestling fan, when I received the DVD, I clicked on selected scenes first-- awfully graphic and depressing. I didn't think I'd want to sit and watch the whole movie, but the next day I made the time to view it, and was rewarded for having done so. It's an expertly crafted film with outstanding performances, and an intelligent, respectful treatment of its themes.First of all, it doesn't seem like a movie, because it's shot like a documentary-- the use of hand held cameras that show or follow behind Mickey Roarke (as Robin who wrestles as 'Randy the Ram'); the fast paced editing and jumps in time and place; and hardly any music at all (hints of 'Dogma 95'), so that many of the silences, (including Ram's continual heavy exhaling) can speak volumes about isolation, loneliness, and having to live with who you are and what you've become. For over 90% of the movie, it's a real suspension of disbelief -- we think we're watching the real thing! Thankfully, we didn't have Nicholas Cage in the part, then we'd know it's a movie, seeing him doing his pained acting schtick, so wonderfully parodied by John Travolta as him in 'Face/Off' (1997). Totally unrecognizable as 'Mickey Roarke, the Actor', Roarke stole the movie 'Sin City' (2005), and he's even better here. You believe he is Ram because he looks so appropriately old, puffy and wasted, and he's clearly speaking from the heart. This is not the sweet faced actor Mickey Roarke from the 80s and 90s; here he looks and is the real deal. A great acting job.The film is about getting old. We see this throughout the film. Marissa Tomei plays Pam, who uses the 'stage name' Cassidy as an almost too old pole and lap dancer ("You're as old as my mother!" one customer yells) who's confronting her own choices about aging. Although we know it's her acting in a movie, her character is reality based and convincing, as she tries to follow the number one rule of the sex trade: "Don't get personally involved with customers!" Their two lives parallel all during the film, with both of them choosing a different path at the end.The film is so intelligently and respectfully constructed. We see images of time passed by every where-- Ram's trailer is full of audio cassettes; he plays an ancient Nintendo game (specially made for the movie!) with a young boy who says, "This game is so old!"; he sells old VHS tapes at wrestling events; he even drives an old Dodge Ram; and in a fantastic and poignant scene he talks, walks and dances with his daughter in an old, empty, deserted amusement park, and of course, there's Randy's 20 Years Later rematch with 'The Ayatollah,' a symbol of anti-Iran feelings of the 1980s.And why does the scene with Randy's daughter, Stephanie, (Evan Rachel Wood in a great mini performance) angrily banishing him from her life seem so familiar? As noted in IMDb, it clearly parallels, and in fact is taken from, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' painful meetings with the daughter he forgot in the wrestling documentary 'Beyond the Mat' (1999).The reality of the professional 'kayfabe' wrestling world is shown in fast paced documentary style, (and even includes the garbage wrestling of CZW) with Randy the Ram, actually Mickey Roarke (!), being a combination of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage (both 80s icons).And what does it all mean? After having suffered a near fatal heart attack, Randy retires and gets a job working in a deli. He tries to repair his personal life with Cassidy and Stephanie, but fails. Tired of being a mousy deli clerk, even denying who he is to a customer, he decides to do the Ayatollah rematch, even at the risk of a fatal heart attack. Having lost everything else, in the ring he declares how his life in the ring constituted the real meaning of who and what he is. As he feels and hears the piercing whine that signalled the first heart attack, he decides to go for it anyway, and performs his Ram Jam dive off the top rope to------ oops! the movie ends there! It's not just as you sow so shall ye reap; or what goes around comes around. As Dylan Thomas said, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light!" You've got to boldly be who you are.I give this movie a 9 and 1/2. One of the greatest sports movies ever made!
Really good, realistic, and honest film
posted on 17 Aug 2009This film does a really great job of showing what professional "Wrestling" is. It reveals that is a staged event with many gimmicks and prearranged happenings. It shows drugs, which are prevalent in society today. It is sad to see how people can get hooked on to this type of thing.The acting was really great. Mickey Rourke was outstanding as The Ram. Marisa Tomei was equally outstanding. Both characters have to deal with the reality of coming to the end of the line, as far as their careers. They have to face the reality of what to do with their lives after their careers. It is shown that this adjustment isn't easy. The portrayal of Ram's daughter was great. The scenes with Ram and his daughter clearly show what Ram's life was and how tragic it became.This movie also was an honest and realistic view of life.
A True Work of Genius
posted on 17 Aug 2009This Aronofsky movie was almost perfect-it is hard to imagine any scene being left out. From the opening frame to the end, I was mesmerized by the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson. By the time we meet him, Randy is wearing a hearing aid and barely eking out an existence from wrestling--we are witnessing the tail-end of his career, and possibly his life. When he has a heart attack, he realizes how alone he is and he tries to reach out to people he cares about, like a local stripper and his daughter. The cinematography in this film was fantastic, as each frame emphasizes just how alone Randy is---the scene where he leaves the hospital and goes out to the empty parking lot to get his van is a great example. After his heart attack, Randy realizes he can no longer wrestle and he tries to get a normal job and assimilate back into the non-wrestling world, but he quickly realizes that the only place he really matters to anyone is in the ring--it is there that he feels truly appreciated and loved by his fans. Mickey Rourke has a truthfully brilliant performance in this film and one can easily see the parallels to his own acting career and life. Go rent this film immediately--you will not regret it.
Nothing to add, just to say it's beyond brilliant
posted on 15 Aug 2009I have never, ever been so taken with a film. I went with two friends, luckily close ones, as I cried like a child through a good third of the film. All those situations, from the trying to connect with the girl in the strip club, the estranged relationships, the wanting to change but just not remotely being able to, the heartbreak, the poverty, seeing the world change and not being able to keep up, ... from my limited experience this film was ruthlessly authentic to the nth degree. Astonishing film, I can't imagine seeing a greater, more realistic film. If, as we are told, god came down as Jesus to try and see life from our perspective, I recommend He view this film and see how it really is today.
Over hyped - very disappointed
posted on 15 Aug 2009I may of had too high of expectations for this movie. The commercials were really promoting this as a grand slam. My wife and I do not bother to see films on the big screen and usually wait for the DVD. This was to be an exception.I guess I am a romantic and had hoped to see a turn-around in the protagonist. There was little. If anything, he was an anti-hero. Not even would this movie qualify as a Victorian tragedy for there were no two ships passing in the night. Just one that sunk into the muck.The story is not one that had to be told. At the end of the movie, I did not feel I was enlightened in any way and that is the mechanism I use to evaluate a film/story. The main character is a looser. I guess there is an audience who perversely delights in seeing man at his lowest but I don't happen to be one of them.
Motion picture that under it's simple title, hides so many layers of common real life emotions
posted on 13 Aug 2009First of all, let me tell you that those kinds of movies don't happen too often, and when you think about this sort, you know that there's only handful similarly well made productions every decade or so. Like with its straight on title, all the beauty of "The Wrestler" lays in its simplicity. This is the story of one man, Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He is a Wrestler. His heydays are long gone but he still hangs on to this profession(as I think we may call wrestling) that gave him so much over the years, but also through Randy's absolute dedication, made his life outside the ring rather shallow and empty. We see that being the truth, when after one brutal match(which is shown in very violent way) Randy experiences heart attack, and is told to put his wrestling gigs aside.Then he faces many tough encounters with new reality, like confrontation with his estranged daughter(played beautifully by Evan Reachel Wood) with whom Randy would very much like to make the peace but after all lost years it may not be possible, and we see him doing different types of honest hard work, he would take to make a living. Randy's other interest besides wrestling is his relationship with the stripper named Cassidy(another award worthy performance from Marisa Tomei).She is Randy's maybe only soul-mate to whom he can freely talk about anything. She resembles Randy in that she also does use her body as a way to make money, but to both of them there is more then meets the eye. Thanks to film's low budget you can relate to all the events more then usual. Almost whole think was shot with using hand-held cameras, and it gives you the feeling of authenticity, like you were there with Randy. Music composed by Clint Mansell is very subtle, and we have fair share of famous 80's hard-rock songs. All the parallels between Randy's character and Mickey Rourke's real life are very much intended, probably because of that he was able to play this part so well, almost effortless. As for the wrestling matches there are some very impressive stunts there , and allegedly Mickey Rourke did all his moves by himself, for those show scenes separately he deserves some kind of recognition. It's a very raw and honest movie, you feel for all the characters, and how they interact with each other, partially thanks to those very honest performances, and also by beautiful straightforward direction in which Darren Aranofsky shot this film. It is one not to be missed, you may laugh you may cry, and you will know by the end of it, that you were treated with something special.
Easily the best movie of 2008!
posted on 13 Aug 2009I've been checking out IMDb for years now, but I actually had to register an account with a credit card just so I can comment on how much I loved this movie.If there was ever a role to define Mickey Rourke's career this is it by far. Not only does his performance outshine everything I've seen this year, but he outperforms any actor I've ever seen in my lifetime.The entire time I was watching this film I never thought once that Randy "The Ram" Robinson is being played by an actor, it feels so real you think your watching an autobiography in the making. In my opinion this surpasses any sports movie ever made, whether its Rocky, or Raging Bull Mickey Rourke outdoes them all with ease.Marisa Tomei also delivers a solid performance, as a very convincing stripper approaching old age in her line of work. Her and Mickey Rourke's on screen chemistry was portrayed in an extremely realistic fashion. I easily think she deserves an award for Best Supporting Actress, as she lights up the screen more then Rosario Dawson(Seven Pounds), as well as Cate Blanchett(Benjamin Button).This movie also provides perhaps the best song ever written for a movie in history thanks to Bruce Springsteen. If you do watch the movie, make sure you don't leave until after hearing the song play during the credits because in my opinion its just another part of the movie.All and all Mickey Rourke has outdone himself, and this movie could possibly be my favorite movie of all time dethroning my favorites such as The Godfather, Forrest Gump, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction and more.10/10 The Dark Knight has nothing on Randy "The Ram" Robinson.
A truly perfect film
posted on 13 Aug 2009The Wrestler is an extraordinary film at the same time it marks the transition of director Darren Aronofsky to a different style than the one of his previous movies.The Wrestler is a more accessible film than Aronofsky's previous movies.Pi,Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain were very unusual movies while The Wrestler is more "normal".But this very talented director has made a brilliant work even at a style which is different than the one he is accustomed to.This is a magnificent movie which will stay with the spectator for a long time (well,that's what happened in my case).Basically,The Wrestler repeats the formula from Rocky (or,more precisely,from Rocky Balboa).But putting the main character in the wrestling world makes the story more credible and less archetypal.The down at heel hero who tries to recover his previous glory has been used on many movies; but in The Wrestler,that story feels fresh,unpredictable and absolutely realistic because of some innovative angles the screenplay has.Many people consider The Wrestler as the artistic rebirth of Mickey Rourke,which makes me very happy,although we do not have to underrate his extraordinary works on supporting roles in movies like Domino,Spun and the brilliant Sin City.But the last time we had seen Rourke in a leading role was in 1992,in the movie White Sands.His performance in The Wrestler is monumental and it also helps the fact that Rourke had a period of glory for then living in the shadows for a long time,something which is related to his character.Marisa Tomei also shines on her character because she is completely natural on her role.Evan Rachel Wood also brings an excellent performance because she shows solid range and adequate deepness.Aronofsky's direction is perfect.The style he found to tell the story was completely appropriate,he could obtain magnificent performances from his cast and the scenes of wrestling fights are very well filmed.The screenplay is amazing,not only because it is very well crafted and because it presents a perfect development of the characters,but also because I admired the way in which it shows the wrestling world.For one sight,it accepts the falseness from that sport but for the other sight,it shows the tremendous training the wrestlers have to do,which requires enormous effort.And I also liked the ending very much.I think it should not be taken on a literal way,but as an analogy of the emotional search of the main character.I will not say any more because I would ruin the movie to the reader.The Wrestler is a magnificent and absolutely fascinating movie which shows once more,why Aronofsky is one of the most interesting contemporary directors.This is a great cinematographic experience which deserves all the acclamation it has received.Besides,who cares if Rourke did not win the Oscar ? What it matters is that this excellent actor made an extraordinary work,at the same time he recovered the dignity as an actor many people considered it was lost...and that means much more than a whimsical trophy which has a very doubtful credibility.
A watered down version of Rocky Balboa (2006 film) without the training montage.
posted on 29 Aug 2009I stood in line for three hours at the rush line hoping that there would be empty seats for the North American premiere of The Wrestler. By the time I got into the theater I was just glad to have sat down. Then Aronofsky walked on stage to introduce his film and I was back on my feet again, clapping as loud as I can. He was friendly, funny and at first sounded humble when he explained to the audience that the film would in no way live up to the hype the audience had just created since the theater was just recently filled with non stop applaud for what seemed to be twenty minutes. He told us that we were going to be disappointed and we all thought he was joking or being humble, but we were wrong. The Wrestler tries to stay away from the clichés of sports films, but by the end of the film you are left with a watered down version of Rocky Balboa (2006 film) without the training montage.The jokes in the film were lackluster, dull one-liners, as was most of the script.Evan Rachel Wood brought absolutely NOTHING to this film. The film takes about twenty minutes screen time going through how wrestling is fake, but people do get hurt, and they do bleed, while performing stunts. And by the end of the film you are like I already knew that wrestling was fake, but who really cares about how they get it done and you are left thinking about how empty this film was. The film is about Rourke's character a washed up wrestler who is dealing with life after being on top, the issues of being alone, finding someone to love, trying to patch things with his estranged daughter, and finding the strength and courage to fight his last match (20 years in the making). I can see that he has a tough life, and has to sleep in his van at times, patches his coat with duct tape, spends most of his money on performance enhancing drugs, strippers and booze. But this doesn't make you pity Rourke's character, you just feel like he is an idiot and this is all his fault. If Rourke did not have such a lovable personality this film would not have worked at all. The two other sub stories of his daughter and stripper are both clichéd and you don't really care for them or their stories. The final match that the film is supposed to be leading to, Rourke's last match, there is almost no build up to it and there is really no climax either. The film will probably be dubbed as the best wrestling film thus far created, but that doesn't say much. There are only a handful of wrestling films, what are you going to compare it to? No Holds Barred, Ready to Rumble or Nacho Libre? Aronofsky is a very talented director and it feels like he just coasted through this film. The film was definitely not hard to direct, there was no complex characters, shots or scenery. It looked like a made for TV film, no wonder he didn't find a North American distributor. Aside from everything that was horrible about the film I do have to mention that Rourke was not bad. I liked his tired/nostalgic character who didn't complain, but try to live with his mistakes. He gave one of his best performances in a long time, but that doesn't say much cause Rourke is not a great actor and he will in no way collect an Oscar for this. Everybody in the audience laughed at all the jokes and clapped very enthusiastically at the end of the film, and I was like what is going on, is everybody here retarded? I turned to my left and found one of my friends clapping along with the audience and I asked him if he liked the film and he shook his head to say no and kept clapping. I still can't understand the ovation. I would give the film a 6 out of 10 because I really like Arnofsky. The film will probably take in 25 or 30 million max, when they find a distributor and I say when because its only a matter of time the studios realize that there is a large wrestling fan base (WWE) and this will probably be like Pulp Fiction to them, (keeping in mind the only other wrestling films that made it to theaters were Ready to Rumble and Nacho Libre otherwise I would not compare this film to Pulp Fiction unless I was talking about how much better Pulp Fiction is). I hoped that Arnofsky would be taking questions after the film, but he hastily left. I wanted to ask him what the hell happened. Aronofsky is, or now was by far one of my favorite directors. Pi was amazing and actually inspired me to make a low budget film to get myself out there. Requiem for a Dream and the Fountain (which is my second favorite film of all time) were also just as groundbreaking even though the Fountain wasn't as well received as it should have been, probably because it was too complex for the general public, but The Wrester? Come on! What made him make this movie? Did he feel that he was obligated to make a mainstream film after the box office failure of the Fountain? I guess directors have to pay property taxes too. But instead of complaining I should also be thanking Arnofsky because when I left to theater I was motivated to start writing again and pick up on my script, because if a talented director like Arnofsky can pick a horrible script like The Wrestler and put it on film, I am sure I can get some of my thoughts and ideas onto the silver screen.