The Wrestler

This weeks’ movie was a ”beat down”!! We all agreed that aside from the occasional forced watching of WWF because of an older brother, none of us were real fans of wrestling. But with all the buzz of Mickey Rourke’s performance, we knew we had to see The Wrestler. So, with hands shielding our eyes from some gruesome fight scenes – we watched the story of Randy “The Ram” Robinson directed by Darren Aronofsky.

The film opens with a long, almost silent scene of The Ram discovering he’s been locked out of his trailer due to unpaid rent. As he shuffled around the premises on a bad leg, huffing and puffing with a shortness of breath that begged an oxygen tank, it was apparent that he had lived a rough life. As with any “character” who performs before an audience, The Ram was determined to maintain his image, fighting the inevitable aging trap - continuing to dye his hair, tan his body, pump himself with steroids, and perform – even if it was in banquet halls with other “has-been” wrestling personalities.

The touching moments in the film came when The Ram discovered that after pouring all of his energy into his wrestling career, he was unable to have a real relationship with anyone but his audience. An estranged daughter (Rachel Evan Wood) lurks in the distance. A potential companion simmers on the back burner (expertly played by the still beautiful Marisa Tomei). None of these opportunities pan out for The Ram because he is only capable of feeling fulfilled in the wrestling ring.

This was a depressing story that was lifted by some great acting moments from Mickey Rourke. Rachel Evan Wood played the role of Stephanie with a  truth that brought tears to our eyes. A heart-wrenching look at a girl who just wanted a dad that could be there for her.

In the end, we felt like we had watched a documentary of a real wrestler’s life. It was raw and harsh in many ways. I think it helped that Mickey Rourke had a lot of experience in the ring. He started out as a boxer before entering into acting full time. He was a believable character in the crazy world of wrestling.

Bruce Springsteen’s title track is excellent.

We rated this film 3-4 out of 5.