The Wrestler Review

 The Wrestler Review

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Year: 2008

 

Does Mickey Rourke body slamming some fools sound like a damn good move!? Well, good thing because he, well… I mean it’s still an awesome movie. Anyway, the Wrestler. Usually I like to include my experience with everything in the reviews, and this one it was pretty simple. Rented it, really enjoyed it, and then bought in the bargain pin. That’s about it. The story is simple enough. It’s about a guy who was once a big time wrestler, but now he’s resorted to independent wrestling at small shows, living in a trailer, working in what I think is a deli place. And yeah, as some who are familiar to my sight, I enjoy wrestling. And they do give some homage to wrestlers. Just little phrases like, “you be the face, I’ll be the heel,” were just nice to hear coming from a big movie. Also a couple wrestlers I’m familiar with a sprinkled in, and it’s nice to just see them briefly. However, wrestling is not the main part of this movie. (And that’s probably for the best, nobody wants to see Mickey Rourke actually get tossed around like that) Wrestling is just a tool in the movie to tell this guy’s story. And it’s more about his life, his family, his love for this stripper (not going to make a T-Pain song reference) and more. And yeah, he is just this beaten guy. And you really love seeing him do the best he can, and when he shines, he is shinier than that stupid thing he bought his daughter. But then of course those are those moments he crumples, and you don’t really blame him… except maybe for the drugs that one time. But anyway, the movie has a very nice style. And by style, I mean going for a really realistic feel. The dialogue goes for as real as can be, the characters feel lifelike, and none are one-dimensional. And I remember just being impressed by the damn scenery. Everything looked like a small town white trash dump, it felt so realistic! And… that’s probably going to be the only time I’ll be impressed by a shitty location. But some scenes I really just wondered if they stepped in a place like the one they were filming and threw the characters in, and just started filming. And the story they tell is very emotional. From the kid and him playing Nintendo to getting drinks with R-Truth when he should have been hanging out with his kid. But just because it doesn’t market itself about wrestling doesn’t mean there aren’t little Easter eggs for those fans. Watching this back in 2008, I wasn’t introduced to how the wrestlers bled yet, and I felt this movie is a good way of conveying that. That being said, reading non-wrestling fan reviews of this… it felt like when that one kid you especially don’t like in school tries to sit with you and your friends at lunch in school. But anyway, the acting. Mickey does an amazing job first off. I mean, nobody else could have given this kind of justice. Everyone else, just as good. His daughter in her last scene kind of blew me away, and the girl playing the striper (I know both of her names, but Pam isn’t as fun as “the striper”) she was a real trooper. You know, giving Mickey a lap dance while acting her ass off. Not many have those kind of accomplishments under their belt. Can you write that on your job application? And pretty much everyone after that is an afterthought character, except maybe his asshole boss that likes to give him shit for being a wrestler, and watched porn while at work. Ah, this movie gets better the more you think about it. And I love the movie, but do I just love delving into the world of The Wrestler filled with bleakness. No, not a whole lot, but I love the story it conveys. I felt like being nicer to people after watching it for some reason. And it inspired my term of “the wrestler ending,” where movie end like the wrestler. But yes, everything about the movie hits the high marks, it deserves the high praise it gets. It tells a terrific story, and hits all the right emotional levels, and that’s ultimately what I want from a great movie.

The Wrestler gets a 4/5

Spoilers: Let’s talk about some scenes! First, when good ol’ Ram talked with his daughter in that scene. How she said she never wanted to see him again, that… just hurt. I wanted to cry right with him. Don’t do drugs kids! Also, when the stripper showed up after all that and said he was “more than a customer.” I wanted to just shout out, “oh, real nice timing you got there! You could have said that before he quit his work in rage and lost his daughter!” But anyway, also that ending. Where the climax and movie end at the same time. As a kid of about… elevenish? I had never seen that, and I don’t know whose done it first (I’m imagining a million stories have) I hadn’t before that, and so that was very big to me. Especially guessing if he was alive, which I doubt he did. R.I.P. Ram Jam.