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Laramie Movie Scope: The Wrestler

Everyone I know goes away in the end

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by Robert Roten, Film Critic
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February 11, 2009 -- Mickey Rourke's starring role in “The Wrestler” is pretty close to an autobiographical role. His character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson is trying for a comeback as a professional wrestler, while Rourke, a former professional boxer, is on the comeback trail as an actor. In fact, he's already back. He may well win a richly deserved Academy Award for his fantastic performance in this film. His performance in “Sin City” was equally powerful. That was his real comeback role. This time, more people noticed.

The plot for “The Wrestler” is conventional, harkening back to such similar sports movies as “J.W. Coop,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight” and “Jim Thorpe, All-American.” This is the most conventional film that director Darren Aronofsky has done. Aronofsky usually goes for the risky, challenging projects, like Pi or The Fountain. This film is conventional, but is magnificently crafted. Randy is a wrestler nearing the end of his career, perhaps even the end of his life. In his loneliness, he seeks out the friendship of a local stripper, Cassidy (Marisa Tomei of “Before the Devil Knows You're Dead”) who is also nearing the end of her career. He also seeks to rebuild his relationship with his estranged daughter, Stephanie Robinson (Evan Rachel Wood of “Across the Universe”).

He tries to retire from wrestling and rebuild his ruined relationships, but that doesn't go well. Despite a serious heart condition, he can't resist the lure of the ring, especially when his relationships fall apart and he can't adapt to his new job working in a supermarket deli. His final act of defiance in the supermarket is a literal, outward depiction of his inner pain. He hurts himself, just to feel something. He tries to be a performer in the supermarket, but it is not the right venue for his talents. It is also not the kind of venue where he wants his old wrestling fans to recognize him. Wrestling is a kind of acting, after all, and like acting, it has the lure of an adoring audience.

The story is filmed in such a realistic way it looks like a documentary. We get an inside look at small-time professional wrestling, complete with its scripting and props. Rourke trained for several months with a real pro wrestler and it shows. Although Randy is a complete screw-up who can't manage a normal life, he has a certain amount of dignity in the ring. In the end, maybe that is all he has left. As Johnny Cash once wrote in the song “Hurt”: “Everyone I know goes away in the end.” It isn't so much that people abandon Randy. He also turns his back on them. Isn't that the way it usually works? This film rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]

(If you e-mail me with a question about this or any other movie or review, please mention the name of the movie you are asking the question about, otherwise I may have no way of knowing which film you are referring to)