Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Wrestler (2008)

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Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 10-31-2008, 01:37 PM:

I saw this thing at the Chicago International Film Festival. After that big blob of goop known as THE FOUNTAIN, Darren Aronofsky has redeemed himself by going completely in the other direction. Where THE FOUNTAIN was an exercise in formal precision, THE WRESTLER feels almost like a documentary.

After the movie, Aronofsky talked about how the style was largely dictated by Mickey Rourke's performance. I can totally see that, and I think it's why the movie works so well. The story is about a bigger-than-life star who has been brought back down to reality, and the style reflects that.

Everyone's saying that Rourke's going to be nominated for an Oscar. I would certainly hope so. He alone is worth the price of admission. Go see this movie.

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 01-07-2009, 06:30 PM:

This is close to flawless. Darren Aronofsky certainly has redeemed himself after the messy THE FOUNTAIN.
I even rate this higher than his second feature REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.
Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are both excellent in this.

Highly recommended

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-07-2009, 06:48 PM:

The trailer is awful and makes me want to avoid this like the plague, especially the fake tears that Mickey-poo cries. The movie hasn't been released yet, how can it be an Oscar contender? Oh wait, is this one of those "let's release one print in the final second of 2008 so it counts" type deals? I really hate it when they pull that stupid shit, because I don't like playing trailers for movies that have been released. I will pull all trailers immediately.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 01-07-2009, 07:25 PM:

Joe, this has been out in New York and LA and a few other places for the past two or so weeks. It goes wider on 1/9 and even wider on 1/16. They are doing the smart thing by slowly releasing this and not throwing out 2500+ prints at once. Build up the anticipation so when it gets to your market people want to see it.

The exact same thing they have done with Gran Torino. That has been doing huge business for us, even during the week. 400+ a show.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-07-2009, 07:45 PM:

I really hate it when they do that. They only do it for Oscar-potential stuff. Seems so pretentious.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 01-09-2009, 10:03 PM:

I went and watched this first thing this morning at my companys "Art House" theatre. Its the only print in the Valley so it will do well there. A good crowd showed up, probably 80-100. A older crowd then I would of thought. This is a movie that I have hyped up myself for, for well over two months and even maybe the past year and half.

If Aronofsky had went with Nic Cage like he had cast after Rourke turned the role down the first time this movie would of been nothing but a joke and would of been given a wide release. Instead Rourke had a change of heart and took the role, a smart move as this will almost certainly give him a well deserved OSCAR! You can write it down, Rourke will win Best Actor and Ledger will win Best Supporting this year.

While the movie it self is good, it is not great. Mickey Rourke is the movie, he becomes the character of Randy "The Ram" Robertson so well. You really do care about him and what happens to him. Well worth seeing, if for nothing more then to see a great actor make a return to greatness.

movie 3.5/5 [thumbsup]

Mickey Rourke 5/5 [thumbsup]

The scenes at the Deli counter are great, would love to see if there are more that didn't make the movie. Great banter from Rourke to the customers.

Posted by Stu Jamieson (Member # 4626) on 01-17-2009, 07:31 PM:

The problem for a film which is so good through its formative chapters is being able to maintain its "wow" factor right through to its conclusion. Few films can do it, Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is a notable success, Darren Aronofsky's own The Fountain achieved it but his latest film, The Wrestler, comes up just short (but only just) due to a conventional plot culminating in a clichéd finale. The film is saved, however, by a triptych of meritorious performances.

With evident shades of Scorsese's Raging Bull, Mickey Rourke delivers a performance which is every bit the equal Robert De Niro. However, Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson is a much less pathetic and a much more valiant figure than De Niros' Jake La Motta and this makes his story all the more engaging. With his two-bit, back-room wrestling matches, his classic wrestling video games, his self-styled figurines and his Dodge "Ram" van, Randy attempts to continue living the dreams of his youth, prolonging the glory of the 80's well past its use-by date and celebrating a halcyonic golden era before that "Cobain pussy" came along and ruined it all.

While there's no doubt that this is the Mickey Rourke Show, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood are worthy of high praise also. In her parallel story of the aging stripper, Tomei does what most Hollywood actresses shy away from: admirably and gracefully embracing her age as an actress rather than hiding it. It's a brave performance and a well-executed one. Wood also impresses as Randy's estranged daughter despite her limited screen time. As the two women in his life, Tomei and Wood capably fulfil the critical duty of reflecting the tenderness and gallantry that belie Randy's otherwise rough-hewn character and give us a reason to like him.

In addition to its primary narrative, The Wrestler offers insight into the behind-the-scenes machinations of pro wrestling - the backstage fight planning between supposed foes, the self-inflicted injuries to heighten the spectacle of the show - thus confirming what we've known all along: that professional wrestling is 90% theatre and 10% fight. Aronofsky successfully trumps this realisation, however, in Randy's aging physicality. Randy's age (and the fragility which necessarily accompanies his physical deterioration) makes his fictitious fights more gripping than the "real" thing. When Randy gets "hurt" in one of his bouts, we're never really sure whether he's really hurt or if it's merely part of the act. As a result, Randy is a character which we can genuinely emotionally invest in as opposed to the detached frivolity of the underlying sport.

For such a cliché ridden story, The Wrestler is a remarkable achievement, for although the story predictably follows the numbers for this type of story, it remains highly engaging throughout due a series exemplary performances. It's just a minor disappointment that the film also culminates in a cliché when an unexpected plot turn would have been much more satisfying.

8 out of 10.