The Wrestler (2008)

The Wrestler (2008)

The Wrestler is a gritty movie that explores the life of the wrestlers that didn’t become Hulk Hogan or the Rock. These are the ones that slowly fade away.

I’ll come right out and say it. Rourke kicks ass in the role.

Mickey Rourke digs deep into his own shitty life and brings out one of his best performances to date. (Excluding Wild Orchid, I kid, I kid) Rourke plays an old wrestler (From the 80s) that is still lingering on the independent wrestler scene. Rourke plays Randy 'The Ram' Robinson very subdued, and that is departure from some of his sillier roles. You truly believe this guy is a beat up old man still trying to hang on to his former fame, kind of like what Rourke is today.

One of the best moments in the film involves The Ram playing an old NES wrestling video game with a kid. The Ram actually plays his videogame character in the game against this kid’s character. It is a nice little touch.

The other main character in the movie is the delightful and still hot Marisa Tomei. Tomei mirrors The Ram’s life, because she’s one of the older strippers in the club, and she’s trying to hang onto her life too. Tomei’s character attempts to keep her distance from The Ram, but he keeps trying. They do find a connection. Did I mention Tomei is nude almost all of her scenes? I mean she’s naked almost the whole movie!

Darren Aronofsky (director) gives us a gritty world where hope and dreams are quickly fading. I started to get depressed every time I saw him working at a grocery store, because I used to work at one. The script is simple, but heart breaking. It is the scenes that really make you connect to the movie, because the story moves at a slow pace.

And, the wrestling scenes are brutal and difficult to watch.

The story is bleak and raw, but don’t let that stop you from watching this movie. This is probably Mickey Rourke’s best performance ever.

Grade: B+