Movie Review: The Wrestler
Vincent Silva
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Entertainment
The Wrestler
I should warn you: this film is one hell of a downer. That said; I could watch Mickey Rourke talk shop with people and struggle to breathe for hours. His performance is truly amazing to watch, and I was really hoping he would get the Oscar for this one. For those of you who like fast paced films, you might want to steer clear from this one. However, if you're a fan of character-driven dramas or old school wrestling, you pretty much have to see it.
The story begins with the rise and fall of Randy "the Ram" Robinson. When we catch up to him, Robinson is a worn-out old geezer, struggling to keep his wrestling career alive by constantly working out and injecting enough steroids into himself to kill an elephant. He lives out the back of his van and, between gigs, makes appearances to schoolchildren for extra cash. The spotlight has passed him by, and he's definitely having trouble adjusting to normal life after experiencing moderate success.
My favorite scene in the movie is when he fights an opponent who is particularly fond of using a staple gun on his enemies. The fight scene cuts off right at the beginning and goes straight to the locker room where EMS guys are patching Robinson up, while segments of the fight cut through to show how those horrific wounds occurred. It's a cool sequence and well edited.
Later in the film, to nobody's surprise, Robinson's heart gives out on him after an especially brutal fight. His doctor informs him that he is in no condition to get back into the ring, lest he suffer another heart attack and probably die. As a result, Robinson goes to and seeks solace in the arms of his favorite stripper (played by the smokin' hot Marissa Tomei). What he doesn't realize is that her affection for him doesn't extend past her job description, which eventually leads to yet another wounded heart and a lifetime disappointment Tomei delivers a terrific performance as a stripper who (despite her job) manages to maintain her sense of dignity.
Realizing that he's likely to die alone and forgotten, Robinson tries to make amends with his estranged daughter, but it doesn't exactly work out as planned. After working several blue-collar jobs, he realizes that the only place for him is in the ring, and calls out one of his lifetime wrestling rivals for a final rematch.
I can't give away the conclusion, but in the end, the film may disappoint people in your theatre. Much like "No Country for Old Men", the ending is a little abrupt, and a couple people I know weren't happy with that. I thought this film was a great movie about a guy who is too worn down and old to enjoy the one thing in his life that truly loves him back. I was never a huge fan of wrestling myself (c'mon people; it's a choreographed dance), but this movie gave me a newfound respect for wrestlers.
Verdict: 8/ 10
I should warn you: this film is one hell of a downer. That said; I could watch Mickey Rourke talk shop with people and struggle to breathe for hours. His performance is truly amazing to watch, and I was really hoping he would get the Oscar for this one. For those of you who like fast paced films, you might want to steer clear from this one. However, if you're a fan of character-driven dramas or old school wrestling, you pretty much have to see it.
The story begins with the rise and fall of Randy "the Ram" Robinson. When we catch up to him, Robinson is a worn-out old geezer, struggling to keep his wrestling career alive by constantly working out and injecting enough steroids into himself to kill an elephant. He lives out the back of his van and, between gigs, makes appearances to schoolchildren for extra cash. The spotlight has passed him by, and he's definitely having trouble adjusting to normal life after experiencing moderate success.
My favorite scene in the movie is when he fights an opponent who is particularly fond of using a staple gun on his enemies. The fight scene cuts off right at the beginning and goes straight to the locker room where EMS guys are patching Robinson up, while segments of the fight cut through to show how those horrific wounds occurred. It's a cool sequence and well edited.
Later in the film, to nobody's surprise, Robinson's heart gives out on him after an especially brutal fight. His doctor informs him that he is in no condition to get back into the ring, lest he suffer another heart attack and probably die. As a result, Robinson goes to and seeks solace in the arms of his favorite stripper (played by the smokin' hot Marissa Tomei). What he doesn't realize is that her affection for him doesn't extend past her job description, which eventually leads to yet another wounded heart and a lifetime disappointment Tomei delivers a terrific performance as a stripper who (despite her job) manages to maintain her sense of dignity.
Realizing that he's likely to die alone and forgotten, Robinson tries to make amends with his estranged daughter, but it doesn't exactly work out as planned. After working several blue-collar jobs, he realizes that the only place for him is in the ring, and calls out one of his lifetime wrestling rivals for a final rematch.
I can't give away the conclusion, but in the end, the film may disappoint people in your theatre. Much like "No Country for Old Men", the ending is a little abrupt, and a couple people I know weren't happy with that. I thought this film was a great movie about a guy who is too worn down and old to enjoy the one thing in his life that truly loves him back. I was never a huge fan of wrestling myself (c'mon people; it's a choreographed dance), but this movie gave me a newfound respect for wrestlers.
Verdict: 8/ 10
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