Movie Review: The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky's 'The Wrestler' is short on flash and flair. There are no fancy camera tricks and no mind blowing plot twists. The story plays out chronologically, and there are very few action sequences and no special effects. 'The Wrestler' is nothing more than simple and direct story telling at its very finest.

'The Wrestler' stars Mickey Rourke as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a professional wrestler who probably should have retired about a decade ago. He's well past his prime and, despite being in great shape, is riddled with injuries. Randy lives in a trailer, and can barely afford his rent. Aside from a daughter he barely knows, he has no family. He's so lonely that his best friend is a stripper named Cassidy, played by Marisa Tomei. When your best friend is a stripper, how are you supposed to be sure that you even have a friend in the first place? The pay for over-the-hill wrestlers must not be too good either, because Randy has a second job (or is wrestling his second job?) at a deli.

The only place Randy gets any respect is in the ring. His fellow wrestlers are honored to work with him. They relish the opportunity to lose to him in the ring. His fans adore him, and boo his opponents mercilessly. They roar with anticipation as he climbs the ropes to perform his signature move.

Outside of the ring, Randy's life is not so glamorous. He gets no respect at his job at the deli, being forced to wear a name tag sporting his real name, Robin. His daughter, who he knows nothing about, loathes him. He attempts to reconciliate, only to fail yet again. Unfortunately, he does not have the success rate in real life that he has in the ring. Randy's also confused about his relationship with Cassidy. He thinks there's something between him, but Cassidy is quick to draw the line between herself and her 'customers.' Despite severe health problems and with no one to turn to, Randy returns to the ring, the only place where he is respected and wanted.

The power of 'The Wrestler' is in its simplicity and realism. Aronofsky puts us right into the middle of Randy's life, both figuratively and literally. The camera regularly follows around the film's protagonist, making us feel as if we're chasing Randy throughout the film. Most of the scenes are shot in medium to close range, and the wrestling matches are very intense. The camera gets right in there for every bit of the action, and we can almost feel every blow. When most people talk about wrestling, they refer to it as 'fake.' It's no secret that wrestling is staged, but Aronofsky makes it a point to show that nothing is fake about bodies hitting the concrete...or in some cases, barbed wire and thumb tacks. He then takes us backstage, and shows us how real wrestling actually is. There's nothing fake about sewing up open wounds and removing thumb tacks and staples. There's nothing fake about taking drugs, constantly working out, altering your appearance, and putting your body on the line, only to barely be able to afford rent. It's all very real to Randy, much more so than his life outside of the ring.

Mickey Rourke is astounding as Randy, and will probably earn himself an Oscar nomination. Rourke shows Randy as a man with a lot of pride on the outside, but a lot of pain and loneliness on the inside. Randy suffers from something a lot of us can relate to: feeling of inadequacy. He feels inadequate as a father, worker, and in his love life. We can see the pain in Randy's tear-filled eyes as he begs his daughter not to hate him. Randy's a simple man; all he wants is to be significant outside of wrestling. We feel for him when we realize, and he realizes, that he can never be a good father. Then, we understand, as he does it, that he must accept his fate. Acceptance of your place in life is another theme that we can all relate to, and Randy accepts his place and bows out gracefully. Most importantly though, he finishes on top, and we're happy for him.