Review: The Wrestler

'The Wrestler' is Darren Aronofsky's fourth feature film as a director. It star's Mickey Rourke as the protagonist, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a battered, aging, broken down professional wrestler. The Ram was a big star in the 1980's, but now, twenty years on, he finds himself wrestling for various indie promotions at the weekend.
In the 1980's, The Ram wrestled the Ayatollah (played by former WCW star and personal favourite Ernest 'The Cat' Miller) in a sold out show in Maddison Square Garden. After one booking, a promoter proposes a rematch between the two to Randy, who agrees, thinking it will propel him to the top again.
We later learn, on Randy's return home' that he lives in a trailer and cannot always pay his rent, leading him to sleeping in his van after popping pain meds. The next day Randy goes to work at a super market where he loads boxes. His boss, Wayne, is, well, a prick; making fun of wrestling and insulting Randy. Wayne is played by Todd Barry, who some people will recognise him from the final episode of season one of Flight of the Conchords. See: The Doggy Bounce.
Anyhoo, I digress! Randy later wrestles Necro Butcher (as himself) in a bloody hardcore match, which involves a great scene with a prosthetic leg. After picking up the win, Randy suffers a heart attack in the locker room. After a bypass surgery, the doctor tells Randy that he can no longer take steroids or even wrestle. Forced to work at the deli in the super market, Randy tries to live life without wrestling. He tells stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) about all his problems at a strip club he frequents. Now Cassidy too is getting old for her profession and so empathises with Randy. On her advice Randy visits his estranged daughter.
From here on out, it'd get a bit spoilery so I'm going to stop.

I adore this movie, and as a huge mark, it has become one of my favourite films. It uncovers the reality and hardship of professional wrestling and shows that it's not all fake. Sure, it's predetermined, but the hits are real, and this movie captures that realism beautifully. The use of real wrestlers in the locker room scenes also adds a bit more for the marks watching.
Please go see this movie. It's beautifully shot and Aronofsky has created a character in Randy that the audience really feel for. However, it is Darren Aronofsky after all, and the man isn't a big fan of hope in his movies, so don't go expecting a happy sing-song at the end. To me this is a good as cinema gets.

/aside
If anyone has seen this and loved it, check out Beyond The Mat for some insight into the lives of some real Randy 'The Ram' Robinsons.


Score:
10/10