The Wrestler (2008)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Darren Aronofsky

Writer (WGA):

Robert D. Siegel (written by)

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Love. Pain. Glory.

Plot:

A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.

Plot Keywords:

Professional Wrestler | Wrestler | Wrestling | Stripper | 1980s

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Randy 'The Ram' Robinson
Marisa Tomei	...	Cassidy
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Stephanie
Mark Margolis	...	Lenny
Todd Barry	...	Wayne
Wass Stevens	...	Nick Volpe
Judah Friedlander	...	Scott Brumberg
Ernest Miller	...	The Ayatollah
Dylan Keith Summers	...	Necro Butcher (as Dylan Summers)
Tommy Farra	...	Tommy Rotten
Mike Miller	...	Lex Lethal
Marcia Jean Kurtz	...	Admissions Desk Woman
John D'Leo	...	Adam
Ajay Naidu	...	Medic
Gregg Bello	...	JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:16 | USA:R (certificate #44697) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:14 | Singapore:R21 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R16 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:B15 | Denmark:15 | Austria:16 | France:U (with warning) | Iceland:14

Filming Locations:

1230 East Linden Avenue, Linden, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Wild Bunch

Trivia:

Randy "The Ram" Robinson's uneasy relationship with his daughter Stephanie parallels that of real-life wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts and his daughter, as chronicled on the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat (1999).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Shadow of mike on wall in Stephanie's living room.

Quotes:

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: What can I get for you, good-lookin'?
Touchdown Man at Deli Counter: Half pound of egg salad.
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: HALF POUND OF EGG SALAD, COMIN' UP!
Touchdown Man at Deli Counter: Is it fresh?
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Fresh? Fresh as monkey's breath, brother!

Movie Connections:

Edited into "WWF Raw Is War: (2009-01-26)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Hit Da Flo

An excellent drama about an aging wrestler

The Wrestler won the Golden Lion a few days ago in Venice. Obviously that's going to build up some high expectations but director Darren Aronofsky introduced it as a "simple little film" and he didn't want the movie to get over-hyped. He said it's been a busy week as he only finished the film 6 days ago!!

Randy "The Ram" Robinson, played brilliantly by Mickey Rourke, was a star professional wrestler in the 1980s. He had a legendary pay-per-view match against the Ayatollah in his prime, his own Nintendo game, posters, "Best of The Ram" VHS series and legions of fans who worshipped him. The film begins in the present day with The Ram collecting a paltry sum of money for his latest fight only to discover he's been locked out of his trailer home because he's behind on his rent. He has a good physique for his age - with the aid of steroids and tanning salons - he still has good friends in the local wrestling brotherhood and he enjoys hanging out with Cassidy (played by Marisa Tomei) at the strip club where she works. He's a likable guy and the neighbourhood kids look up to him as a hero, so it's easy to root for this washed-up old wrestler as he participates in choreographed, yet amazingly bloody, wrestling matches. He struggles to pay the rent while also searching for deeper meaning in his life as he knows that he can't wrestle forever. However, wrestling is the only thing he's good at, and he lives for those precious moments when he stands on the top turnbuckle and his adoring fans cheer his name – but once he steps out of the ring his life is a mess. He'd like to reconcile with estranged daughter Stefanie (played by Evan Rachel Wood) but she hates him after he abandoned her in her youth. He's never given her a birthday gift, probably because he doesn't know which day it is.

There's a parallel story with Cassidy, an aging stripper. She also knows that her career is coming to an end, but unlike The Ram she seems to have plans after she retires, and her finances are in good order. They've obviously known each other for quite some time, and though there seems to be some mutual attraction Cassidy has always followed the rule "don't get involved with a customer". They have a complex relationship that changes throughout the film, but you can always feel that Cassidy cares about his well-being.

This movie works because it feels so real. All the characters are so natural in their roles that you'll feel drawn into this world of wrestling. Mickey Rourke doesn't just play a wrestler, he is a wrestling star, he is Randy The Ram in every way. The wrestling scenes were also amazingly crafted and you can see Randy build off the crowd's excitement. The film does a great job of showing why so many fans love "fake" wrestling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little film but it's not for all tastes. It's gritty, raw, sometimes depressing, sometimes funny, and yeah I'll admit that I cried. A 9.5/10 for me and it's a must-see for wrestling fans (especially from 1980s era) and, obviously, anyone who enjoyed the previous works of Aranofsky and/or Rourke. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were both outstanding and Evan Rachel Wood also shone in her supporting role.