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Authors Note: This is my first ever movie review, guys. I write video-game reviews for my school paper, and I watch a ton of movies, so I figure I should find out how to write reviews of them. I'm sure I missed something important, so don't be afraid to tell me how bad it is. Any feedback is appreciated. Also, first post here, I hope this is in the right place and that I'm abiding by all of the rules. Right then. Onto the review...
The Wrestler is a hard movie to watch. Mickey Rourke is thrown, punched, kicked, bloodied, beaten, battered, and even stapled on one occasion – it’s gruesome stuff – but that’s not the reason it’s hard to watch. Director Darren Aronofsky’s 4th flick is hard to watch because of how painfully real it feels. I had to turn away from the screen on multiple occasions, because I couldn’t bear to see Rourke’s character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, self-destruct any further. I wanted Randy to succeed so earnestly that I forgot that I was watching a movie.
Back in the ‘80s, Randy Robinson used to be a headlining professional wrestler. He was young, got all of the women, and his name was in all of the magazines. Fast-forward 20 years and our tale about a washed-up, non-headlining, professional wrestler begins. “The Ram” has given his whole life for professional wrestling, and what does he have to show for it? A lonesome trailer. And he’s often locked out of it for missing the payments.
Apart from the occasional reminiscing with fellow wrestlers, Randy is alone. No wife or kids – it’s the price he paid for devoting himself so entirely to wrestling. Some neighbor boys down the road think he’s great, but for the most part, he’s unrecognizable on the street as well (apart from the “die-hard” fans). There is a certain stripper (Marisa Tomei) that he’s got his eye on, but she can’t be seen with a “customer”.
The camera is most always locked onto Randy, as we watch him struggle both in and out of the ring. This is undoubtedly a good thing, because Mickey Rourke gives an absolutely incredible performance as The Ram. The physical acting on display (and not just by Rourke, either) is astounding, but the care given to every single conversation is why Rourke should have won an Oscar. There are a few memorable scenes late in the film that are truly special. In one particularly special scene, Rourke is giving a monologue that encapsules everything the movie is about: and I didn’t want it to ever end. I wouldn’t dare spoil anything specific; you really need to watch the movie to understand how spectacular Rourke is in this role. Rourke’s isn’t the only great performance, though. Marisa Tomei does a nice job as an aging stripper, whose only consistent customer is Randy Robinson.
This sort of amazing acting, coupled with some great directing, gives The Wrestler a “real” quality. The Wrestler never shies away from the violent nature of wrestling. The movie opens with The Ram doing a low-end wrestling match for maybe a hundred people. That scene does two things: Show us how far Randy has fallen off the lime-light, and how brutal the sport is. It’s often sickening to see the wrestlers go so far to give the fans some entertainment. They put razor-blades under the tape on their wrists to make themselves bleed. Aronofsky shows the sport in its true light – he never intends to glorify it.
This movie even sounds sincere. Bruce Springsteen wrote the “credits” song and, much like Rourke, he shows he can still produce. Most of the score entails ominous tones (which usually work), but the licensed music is what really works. They somehow managed to get Axel Rose to let them use “Sweet Child O’ Mine” – which is no easy feat.
The Wrestler just oozes atmosphere. The world of wrestling entertainment is something not explored in many movies, and it works as a perfect backdrop to show the true story: that being one of hardship, loneliness, sadness, humor, love, and passion. It sucks you in so totally, so truly, that you could go on watching it forever. It deserves to rank up with the best movies, not only of 2008, but of this century. The Wrestler is a hard movie to watch, and I loved every last second of it.
The Wrestler
The Wrestler is a hard movie to watch. Mickey Rourke is thrown, punched, kicked, bloodied, beaten, battered, and even stapled on one occasion – it’s gruesome stuff – but that’s not the reason it’s hard to watch. Director Darren Aronofsky’s 4th flick is hard to watch because of how painfully real it feels. I had to turn away from the screen on multiple occasions, because I couldn’t bear to see Rourke’s character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, self-destruct any further. I wanted Randy to succeed so earnestly that I forgot that I was watching a movie.
Back in the ‘80s, Randy Robinson used to be a headlining professional wrestler. He was young, got all of the women, and his name was in all of the magazines. Fast-forward 20 years and our tale about a washed-up, non-headlining, professional wrestler begins. “The Ram” has given his whole life for professional wrestling, and what does he have to show for it? A lonesome trailer. And he’s often locked out of it for missing the payments.
Apart from the occasional reminiscing with fellow wrestlers, Randy is alone. No wife or kids – it’s the price he paid for devoting himself so entirely to wrestling. Some neighbor boys down the road think he’s great, but for the most part, he’s unrecognizable on the street as well (apart from the “die-hard” fans). There is a certain stripper (Marisa Tomei) that he’s got his eye on, but she can’t be seen with a “customer”.
The camera is most always locked onto Randy, as we watch him struggle both in and out of the ring. This is undoubtedly a good thing, because Mickey Rourke gives an absolutely incredible performance as The Ram. The physical acting on display (and not just by Rourke, either) is astounding, but the care given to every single conversation is why Rourke should have won an Oscar. There are a few memorable scenes late in the film that are truly special. In one particularly special scene, Rourke is giving a monologue that encapsules everything the movie is about: and I didn’t want it to ever end. I wouldn’t dare spoil anything specific; you really need to watch the movie to understand how spectacular Rourke is in this role. Rourke’s isn’t the only great performance, though. Marisa Tomei does a nice job as an aging stripper, whose only consistent customer is Randy Robinson.
This sort of amazing acting, coupled with some great directing, gives The Wrestler a “real” quality. The Wrestler never shies away from the violent nature of wrestling. The movie opens with The Ram doing a low-end wrestling match for maybe a hundred people. That scene does two things: Show us how far Randy has fallen off the lime-light, and how brutal the sport is. It’s often sickening to see the wrestlers go so far to give the fans some entertainment. They put razor-blades under the tape on their wrists to make themselves bleed. Aronofsky shows the sport in its true light – he never intends to glorify it.
This movie even sounds sincere. Bruce Springsteen wrote the “credits” song and, much like Rourke, he shows he can still produce. Most of the score entails ominous tones (which usually work), but the licensed music is what really works. They somehow managed to get Axel Rose to let them use “Sweet Child O’ Mine” – which is no easy feat.
The Wrestler just oozes atmosphere. The world of wrestling entertainment is something not explored in many movies, and it works as a perfect backdrop to show the true story: that being one of hardship, loneliness, sadness, humor, love, and passion. It sucks you in so totally, so truly, that you could go on watching it forever. It deserves to rank up with the best movies, not only of 2008, but of this century. The Wrestler is a hard movie to watch, and I loved every last second of it.