The Wrestler (2008)

Fantastic!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

First I have to admit I am prejudiced by it mainly being filmed in and around my hometown of Rahway, NJ. They used my American Legion Post as well. My son when deployed in Bahrain almost jumped off the ouch yelling, "That's my Dad's post!" But let's get on point. I am a sucker for convincing performances. I will watch a film over and over and over again, almost mesmerized with conincing performances which Rourke and Tomei displayed. Everyone else, except for thedaighte I could identify with and I could also picture individuals I know on these roles. Great job! Very nice work.

It's a tough task being a Mickey Rourke fan these days. The dude was at his peak in Diner and Angel Heart (all 1980s films), but he threw it all away for odd roles in soft erotic films (a good 9 and ½ Weeks and a bad Wild Orchid) and a boxing career that left him with permanent scars on his face and scars on his movie career. I am one of the few who stuck by him, and I still stick by him because he knows how to play the Hollywood game when money is tight or when a quality screenplay is under your nose.With his role in The Wrestler, I feel Mickey can finally jab the past away as he stars as a character so close to his personal experience, the end result grants him salvation and a worthy Oscar nomination. It may be a brutal self-destructive experience, but Mickey's enduring 1980's smile still gives me tears and hope.As boxing was his output in real life, Mickey echoes his life as Randy "The Ram," a washed up wrestler closing in on retirement but still breathing nostalgically for old school fans. A van is a home, a stripper (Marisa Tomei) is a comfort, and an estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) is a hope. On top of that, Randy has a heart that is dying on him, giving him less time and chance for redeeming lost relationships. Only he knows this, and his arduous search for redemption is just as tough as the hits he takes in the ring.Director Aronofsky of Pi and Requiem for a Dream is a supposed "art dart," but this film is surprisingly conventional for most audiences. As usual, I am perplexed by how so many good films like this go unseen because only independent theaters will take them. Don't be lazy. Get up and see this one no matter where it's showing! The role Mickey takes on involved working out for 80 minutes a day, a gut to stick fiction to autobiographical, and two swollen eyes for reconciliation. Mickey deserved the Oscar, not Sean Penn, if you ask me.

Being an old-school fan of professional wrestling (I grew up in the WWF's late 1980s-early 90s heyday), I was expecting to thoroughly enjoy this much-hyped film. Instead, I found it to fall quite flat for me for two specific reasons:First, I think I came into viewing "The Wrestler" with too much prior experience/knowledge of professional wrestling. While the film depicts such unsettling scenes as the locker room drug/steroid deals, the brutal "death matches", and the lonely life that a pro wrestler leads, those were things I already knew, thus I wasn't shocked to see them on screen. Perhaps moviegoers who know nothing about the sinister side of pro wrestling would find those things more horrifying (and thus sympathize with Mickey Rourke's "Randy the Ram" character) than I did.Secondly, I just wasn't sucked into what was supposed to provide the drama of the film. Randy's relationship with his stripper girlfriend didn't quite lend itself to incredible drama, because it wasn't fleshed-out enough, while his relationship with his estranged daughter flourished a bit too quickly to make the climax of the film as touching as it could have been.So, although Rourke does turn in an inspired performance, I felt that the film was a bit too rushed in its dramatic efforts and didn't cover enough new territory (at least for me) to hold my interest. However, if you know very little about the backstage goings-on in professional wrestling, then this movie may shock you enough to truly care about Randy the Ram.

Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood star in this 2008 drama. This takes place in New Jersey where we meet veteran wrestler, Randy aka "The Ram" who has been in the business for over 20 years. He decides to retire from the ring to take care of his body. In the process, he tries working at a grocery store and reconnecting with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Wood) whom he abandoned years prior. Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) plays Cassidy, a stripper who Randy gets close with. This is a good drama with some heartfelt moments and a bit of humor. Rourke gives a terrific performance and should've received an Oscar. I recommend this.