The Wrestler
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring:
Mickey Rourke - Randy "The Ram" Robinson
Marisa Tomei - Cassidy
Evan Rachel Wood - Stephanie Robinson
Director Darren Aronofsky got our attention ten years ago with Pi and continued to fascinate us with Requiem for a Dream. But with 2006's The Fountain and now The Wrestler, he has cemented himself as one of the best directors working today. His newest film is one of the year's best—achingly earnest, heartfelt, and thoughtful.
Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is at the point where most of us give up. After being at the height of wrestling in 1987, he is now given to playing in rec halls on the weekend before working the weekdays in a supermarket. His only investment isn't in family or legacy; it's just in the next fight. He can barely make his rent because his cash is going to steroids, keeping his long hair platinum blonde, and holding on to an artificial tan. But he's not bitter. It's clear that Randy has moved passed the ego and resentment of his life and has been stripped down to a kind, soft-spoken human being. He's seen it all and he has nothing but kind words of encouragement for the young up-and-comers and a smile for the kids and long-time fans that want his autograph.
But after an absolutely brutal match (which Aronofsky captures and paces brilliantly, as he does with all the fights in the film), Randy has a heart attack and he's told that if he continues to wrestle, he'll die. It's from here that we witness if this man can change the course of his life and pursue the opportunities missed over the last twenty years.
Randy is an unforgettable character and Rourke plays him to perfection. On the surface alone, the man is a mess of incongruities. His sculpted body is betrayed by scars; his long blonde locks are brushed behind an ear sporting a hearing aide. He works in a world of fantasy but there's not a more down-to-earth guy. It's a complex role and Rourke plays it masterfully.
Many have drawn parallels between Randy's career and Rourke's but I think that cheapens the performance. It means he's just playing himself and that's not fair. Randy doesn't have to be such a gentle giant. He could just be an arrogant pile of pissed off, believing that the world owes him something. What we're witnessing is Randy past all that. Completely stripped down over the course of twenty years, he wonders if his life can make a comeback. Is he just, to quote himself, "an old, broken down piece of meat"? Or is there a second chance? The answer is both tragic and beautiful. Rourke taps into the quiet peace of Randy but can reach for the anger and frustration when necessary. It's not a loud performance but one wrapped in sadness but not desperation.
Brilliantly cast as Randy's love interest is Marisa Tomei as Cassidy, a stripper. These two are a like a beautiful mirror as they both showcase their overworked, abused bodies for the fantasies of others. One pretends at extreme masculinity while the other plays at uninhabited female sexuality. But beneath the gaudy clothes and the myriad of tattoos, there are two lonely people who both have a chance to connect with someone who truly understands them. There's an incredibly sweet scene between the two that shows love is perhaps best expressed not through longing glances or a kiss, but with dancing; in the case of The Wrestler, watching Randy and Cassidy groove to Ratt's "Round and Round" is a wonderfully heart-warming moment.
In addition to "Round and Round", all the music is perfectly chosen. The music of Ram's life is 80s rock and it's the kind of positive ego that Randy brings in all of his encounters. The music plays for him but it's a love he returns in equal measure to all around him (or at least to all who love him as a wrestler, as a superman). The film finishes out with a new song from Bruce Springsteen. Haunting, sad, and yet somehow uplifting, it fits perfectly with the film and it's my vote for the best song from a film this year.
But it all ties together with Aronofsky. All the hallmarks of The Fountain are still in place—profound performances from his actors; perfect use of score, sound, and soundtrack; and visuals that drench every scene with deeper meaning yet never distract from the plot. What's fascinating is that Wrestler is visually a 180 from Fountain. Even though I think The Fountain is a prettier film, I think The Wrestler may be the greater visual accomplishment because all the scenes have to stay grounded in reality. For example, in one scene as Cassidy works the poll, we have to go by her face that she's thinking of Randy. Aaronfsky won't throw in a flash of Randy's face or pretend like he's in the strip club when he's not. It's that commitment to reality that makes the film such a marvel and it's another reason why Rourke and Tomei's performances are so vital to the film's success.
You'll notice that I left out the film's other lead, Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Randy's estranged daughter. She's not bad but she lacks the restraint and the presence to make her character feel real and her style just doesn't mesh with every other performance in the film. But it's a minor flaw in a tremendous film.
The Wrestler received a lot of hype but it hit me in a way I didn't expect. Rather than go for big, bold strokes and body-slamming drama, The Wrestler stays grounded in the real and every action, every camera movement, and every song that inhabits that real world is made all the richer for that commitment and understanding of what's human, fallible, and glorious in us as individuals.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
12.21.08