THE WRESTLER (includes trailer)
September 21st 2010 07:25
Darren Aronofsky, the fertile mind behind PI, Requiem For A Dream and the unfairly under rated The Fountain, takes an unusual step off his normal course of technically magnificent head trips, to create a film which may sound dull in theory but finds poignant emotional honesty and uncompromising rawness through it's style, form and lead performances from Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood - once again proving that a film's subject matter can be merely incidental, if handled by the right person.
When I first sat down to watch The Wrestler, I was initially taken aback by the film's style. Once again expecting something visually perfect (in light of writer/director Darren Aronofsky's previous three films), The Wrestler is instead rough around the edges, shot in a pseudo-documentary style, in grainy 16 mm, with hand held cameras and an approach that vie's for unpolished realism. The Wrestler centre's around a professional wrestler well past his prime, broke and alone, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson once upon a time was the biggest name in pro-wrestling. 'Ram' now performs his pre-orchestrated wrestling matches for small audiences, getting by on $100 a night. By day he works in a supermarket and by night, sleeps in a trailer. When Ram has a heart attack, he's no longer allowed to wrestle, but it's all he knows, the only place he belongs, idolized by the other wrestlers around him and an abundance of fans from yesteryear.
Mickey Rourke in 'The Wrestler'
The Wrestler is a deeply moving, extremely affecting film about a man who searches for something else in the world, something to get him by when he can no longer do what he loves. Ram is played by come back kid Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Year Of The Dragon, The Pope Of Greenwich Village), in a heart felt, gut wrenching performance that closely mirrors his own life away from the spotlight for 15 years. Darren Aronofsky steps back on this one and lets one of the last remaining, truly authentic Method actors astound us in a painfully honest performance that's in tune with the grainy, rawness of the film's soul. What's truly beautiful here is how revealing Mickey Rourke is, stripping away any kind of actorly tricks or technique, we feel like we're witnessing this character, as well as the man underneath - Rourke himself, humble us with his most private and vulnerable feelings at times.
The Wrestler begins with tacky looking, green and white credits, over a collage of clippings, reminiscing over the Ram in his prime. Showered with 80's rock tunes on the soundtrack, Ram/Randy has an assortment of music cassettes, old video game consoles from twenty years ago, everything around him hints at a man whose soul is anchored in the decade of his glory days. During the first ten minutes of The Wrestler, I wondered if I had not set my self up for disappointment, the film seems at first very interested in the sport. This actually comes down to shining a light on the world that Randy belongs in. He becomes a wondering soul, looking for some other purpose. The score by Clint Mansell and Slash is a haunting one and compliments his inner world, which the film explores. Layers are peeled back and Mickey Rourke is a revelation, giving his best performance ever. We peel away at this giant of a man, eventually revealing his vulnerability.
Randy reaches out to his estranged daughter Stephanie, played by Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen, Down In The Valley), attempting to rebuild their broken relationship. His other life line is in the form of an older stripper, Pam, played by Marisa Tomei (In The Bedroom, Unhook The Stars). Wood is stunning in her part as Stephanie, a real powerhouse, as the emotion emerges from her effortlessly. Tomei is also good too, playing a role that has it's own parallels to Randy's story, Randy and Pam are brought together on the rockiest of ground, both performers in the most extreme sense, both seen as too old for their professions. The script by writer Robert D. Siegel (who's only previous script credit was The Onion Movie) is uncompromising, never over selling the delicate emotions of this human story, allowing them to build gracefully. The profession of 'wrestling' becomes universal, as the film is written in a way that allows us to transpose our own passions as we watch. The main character could be doing anything and the emotions and story would translate the same way.
One small moment aside - there is a scene where Randy gives a heart felt speech to his audience before a match. Despite it's subtle difference, the scene definitely sticks out compared to all the others. I don't know if I would call it a flaw as such, but it does seem to be the one moment that doesn't ring as true as everything else. I've never been in a situation before like the one Randy is in, but this moment of sentiment, despite it's catharsis, seems to be trying to over sell it's emotion, rather than letting it grow organically.
The film ultimately belongs to Mickey Rourke. I felt like I was receiving a gift as I watched him bear his soul for us on screen. As Rourke tries to figure out what is worth living for, he creates a character who, by the end of this film, you care so deeply about that it makes for one of the best dramas of the decade. A lot has changed for Rourke since his hiatus from acting - specifically his looks. Rourke, once the most handsome of actors, in his 'badboy' days, was able to cruise through his roles, delivering stand out performances with nuance and charisma, without breaking a sweat. Life has pummelled his good looks to a pulp, his charisma has withered, blistered and peeled and all that's left is his talent - as a result we see him deliver a role with everything he's got and the results are extraordinary. It really seems like the greatest performance of this decade and undoubtedly a brutally honest and moving portrait of one man past his prime.
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Maybe Bryn - he definitely has a great track record, but like I said I sort of see this film belonging more to Mickey than the director.
Thanks for reading
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
This is a film we have discussed often so I will just insert a brief exert of my own review rather than retread:
"The Wrestler is a powerhouse drama, emotionally violent, brutally poignant, raw open wounds both internal and external snapped in a capsule for moving pictures. Testament to the works ability to capture what makes us human."
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
We're definitely not on the same page with The Fountain though. Would love to see your review of that. Very, very silly, misguided film. A personal project that dissolves under the weight of its own pretentiousness. It tries to make bold, grandiose statements about the meaning of life and slips on banana peels with every chuckle it inspires. The one stain on Aronofsky's incredible career so far despite a certain level, I admit, of aesthetic beauty to it, and yes, Mansell's very decent score.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Thanks JD
David - while Mickey definitely owns the film, there's no need to under score the film itself, which at the end of the day is a film itself not just someone acting.
As for The Fountain I intend on accepting that challenge soon. I think it might be his best film. It's definitely the most under rated film of the decade. A film about death that requires you to transpose your own personal emotions over to connect with. The score by Mansell is one of the greatest scores possibly ever composed.