Battered Ram

A review of The Wrestler.

Watching The Wrestler, written by Robert D. Siegel (The Onion Movie and former Editor in Chief of The Onion) and directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Pi), felt as satisfying as checking out your ass in the full-length mirror after you’ve finally gotten yourself back to the point where you can wear your skinny jeans again – you’ve been here before and you know the moment might be fleeting, so you try hard to manage your expectations, but dang are you going to enjoy the moment while it lasts. The Wrestler features the “comeback” performance of Mickey Rourke (Nine 1/2 Weeks, Body Heat), whose immense talent hasn’t been utilized in a leading role since the early ‘90s. Mr. Rourke plays the titular role of professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, and to say that the film would be nothing without him is no hyperbole. Those of us who really love movies, who appreciate the great actors of our time and relish truly remarkable performances, can only hope that Mr. Rourke’s return to the spotlight will not result in the same self-destructive implosion that deprived us of full enjoyment of his gift these past fifteen plus years.

The Wrestler relates the story of The Ram, a veteran professional wrestler regularly working the local circuit in his home state of New Jersey. The Ram’s been around so long that one of the local promoters wants to organize a twenty year anniversary re-match of a legendary grapple between The Ram and “The Ayatollah.” But for the bright lights of Saturday nights’ performances, there isn’t much glamour to Randy’s life – he can barely afford to make rent each month on his unit at the trailer park where he lives – so this kind of hype and attention serves as salve for a gnarled ego. Much to Randy’s dismay, however, his body will no longer permit him to put it through the punishing paces that have been routine for the past two plus decades. Not even with a little bit (read: a lot) of artificial enhancement. But as his body breaks down, Randy struggles to fight back, trying not to allow his spirit to follow suit. To that end, he woos the local hooker-with-the-heart of gold (except that she’s merely an exotic dancer who gives lap dances), Cassidy aka Pam (Marisa Tomei), tries to repair his broken relationship with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and picks up extra shifts at the local grocery store. But while you can take the wrestler out of the ring, you can’t take the Ram out of Randy and he can’t resist the urge to reprise his former self, with all the attendant consequences.

As one might guess, those consequences can be utterly heartbreaking. The Wrestler is predictable, but the fact that one can anticipate what’s coming is inconsequential: the beauty of this tale is in the telling. Mr. Rourke is captivating as The Ram, and even when you knew he was going to screw things up and he went ahead and did just that, you still wanted to root for him. It’s true that Mr. Rourke’s time-worn, scarred, former pretty-boy visage contributes to his portrayal of the character, but in reality, the performance is all there in his eyes. It’s The Ram’s eyes that convey his sadness, his hopefulness, his desperation. Mark my words, if Mr. Rourke doesn’t win the Best Actor Oscar, it will be because Sean Penn got the political vote (not that Mr. Penn didn’t himself give a brilliant performance in Milk, but frankly, this should be Mr. Rourke’s year). Similarly, Marisa Tomei’s Pam expresses volumes with few words, even in the way she dances – sometimes angry, sometimes forlorn and sometimes just empty. Ms. Tomei seems to get better and better with age (check out her performance in last year’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead if you missed it) and, if I may say, so does her body. Holy hell, she is in unbelievable shape – we should all be so lucky as to look half that good at any age. And while young Evan Rachel Wood was good as Randy’s daughter, she was a bit of a weak link among such company. Her Jersey accent came off as somewhat forced and her character’s arc seemed out of whack – she started off angry, simmered down, then brought it back up (to an eleven), and it didn’t seem like there was enough of a build to the point from which she started.

What Mr. Aronofsky did build very well from the start was our exposure to Randy’s world. The film did a great job of immediately introducing you to and then transporting you into the world of professional wrestling. Within every aspect, from backstage to performance to the ugly truth about the rampant use of PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and the physical punishment these guys put themselves through, no detail was spared. It’s a fairly unpleasant experience watching what these guys go through (a warning for the faint of heart, blood and needles – and even staples – abound) (seriously, it’s bad enough that you might actually want to eschew the movie snacks for this one) and it’s intended to be. It should be awful to watch because it conveys what these men put themselves through just for that moment of glory that their craft allows them. Do yourselves a favor and endure those parts, though, because it’s worth it to see Mr. Rourke’s return to glory.