The Wrestler: More like The Downer
I first heard about "The Wrestler" while listening to the Howard Stern radio show. Howard was talking about how great the movie was. Up until that point I had never even heard of the movie nor was it anywhere on my radar. I ended up watching the movie because my uncle wanted to see it. So was it worth all the hype or was "The Wrestler" down for the count?
The movie is about a past his prime pro wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke). It takes place 20 years after the Ram was at the top of his game. The movie picks up with the Ram wrestling in small venues for a few bucks. Although he is long past his prime the younger wrestlers still respect him and he seems to still enjoy wrestling. But soon a heart attack forces him to retire from the sport and he tries to reclaim his life outside of wrestling. He tries to hold down a job at a supermarket deli counter. But most importantly he tries to reconnect with the daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who he could not put ahead of his wrestling career. In the end he has a realization that all he can and ever will be a wrestler. Hence the title of the film.
I heard quite a bit of hype about this film and it actually raised my expectations for it pretty high. And amazingly enough "The Wrestler" was able to live up to and even surpass my expectations. Mickey Rourke's acting was just superb. He was completely believable as a washed up wrestler. He was able to transition seamlessly from his wrestling persona, "The Ram," to his everyday persona of Randy. Even during the really serious parts of the film Rourke's portrayal was believable. It was not over acted it was just perfect. I would be really surprised if he didn't win an award for his performance.
The plot was so well constructed that, in the words of a friend, you could put any wrestler from the 80's in the Ram's position and it would have worked perfectly. Even the wrestling scenes in the film were correographed to a "t" so to speak. The films portrayal of a self destructive man who is only happy when he's in pain works. Rourke's performance serves to enhance the already powerful script.
Bruce Springsteen's song of the same name written for the movie is tailor made for the theme of the film. Even on it's own the song is good lyrically but paired with the film it is just phenomenal. The song has already won the Critics Choice award for best original song and it should sweep the category at all the other award events.
I don't have any complaints whatsoever about this film. I'm sure there are flaws that can be picked out for the real perfectionists out there. But I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. It kept me watching and interested throughout and was never so emotionally heavy that it appeared to be preachy.
As much as I loved "Gran Torino" I think "The Wrestler" is by far a better film. The plot is more original and although Clint Eastwood's performance was great Rourke is just a little better. You do not need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this film. If that is the only thing preventing you from watching it; it shouldn't. The film is a great drama and well deserving of all the praise it's received.
The movie is about a past his prime pro wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke). It takes place 20 years after the Ram was at the top of his game. The movie picks up with the Ram wrestling in small venues for a few bucks. Although he is long past his prime the younger wrestlers still respect him and he seems to still enjoy wrestling. But soon a heart attack forces him to retire from the sport and he tries to reclaim his life outside of wrestling. He tries to hold down a job at a supermarket deli counter. But most importantly he tries to reconnect with the daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who he could not put ahead of his wrestling career. In the end he has a realization that all he can and ever will be a wrestler. Hence the title of the film.
I heard quite a bit of hype about this film and it actually raised my expectations for it pretty high. And amazingly enough "The Wrestler" was able to live up to and even surpass my expectations. Mickey Rourke's acting was just superb. He was completely believable as a washed up wrestler. He was able to transition seamlessly from his wrestling persona, "The Ram," to his everyday persona of Randy. Even during the really serious parts of the film Rourke's portrayal was believable. It was not over acted it was just perfect. I would be really surprised if he didn't win an award for his performance.
The plot was so well constructed that, in the words of a friend, you could put any wrestler from the 80's in the Ram's position and it would have worked perfectly. Even the wrestling scenes in the film were correographed to a "t" so to speak. The films portrayal of a self destructive man who is only happy when he's in pain works. Rourke's performance serves to enhance the already powerful script.
Bruce Springsteen's song of the same name written for the movie is tailor made for the theme of the film. Even on it's own the song is good lyrically but paired with the film it is just phenomenal. The song has already won the Critics Choice award for best original song and it should sweep the category at all the other award events.
I don't have any complaints whatsoever about this film. I'm sure there are flaws that can be picked out for the real perfectionists out there. But I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. It kept me watching and interested throughout and was never so emotionally heavy that it appeared to be preachy.
As much as I loved "Gran Torino" I think "The Wrestler" is by far a better film. The plot is more original and although Clint Eastwood's performance was great Rourke is just a little better. You do not need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this film. If that is the only thing preventing you from watching it; it shouldn't. The film is a great drama and well deserving of all the praise it's received.
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