Special Movie Review - The Wrestler

The Wrestler


Sometimes, when one of my friends invites me to go see a movie, I accept on a whim. I do this for two reasons - 1) it's good subject matter for my blog, and 2) I'm interested in movies that I've never heard of. The Wrestler falls in this second category, because before I went and saw it, I had never even heard of the movie. Also, I think I had it confused with the recent horror movie Wrestlemaniac, but either way, I opted to go see this at the theater with my two friends and two other strangers sitting in front of us.

I guess, though, The Wrestler is big stuff. Leading actor Mickey Rourke, who plays the, you know, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, was nominated for an Oscar. But who really cares about the Academy Awards anyway?

So, getting back to the review, Rourke plays big kahuna The Ram, an aging wrestler with little money who continues to fight in the ring while working extra at the local supermarket. The Ram is lonely and fading out of wrestling fast, especially after an extreme bout that triggers a heart attack. But Randy doesn't know anything besides wrestling, and hates to come to terms with the fact that he may just have to retire and work a steady job the rest of his life like all of the other old athletes. After the heart attack, Randy tries to settle his life down; he attempts to date stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) - who is going through a mid-life crisis of her own - and he makes an effort to establish a bond between him and his abandoned daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). We probably wouldn't have a very intense movie without a conflict though, right? Right, and you can probably guess that Randy's newfound interest in social affairs comes crashing down around him when he's rejected by Cassidy and screws up with Stephanie. What's a wrestler to do?


Well, I'll tell you what he does. He fights. And he fights hard.

Mickey Rourke looks good as Randy (well, not literally looks good. You know what I mean), and even the blonde dye-job is badass. The audience is bound to find similarities between The Ram and real-life wrestlers, and he resembles a cross between Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Of course, there's the tight spandex and the hair, but there's also the attitudes and subtle nods to historic wrestlers. One can tell that the film is part appreciation of the wrestling world and part satire of it, at some points showcasing the talents and hard work that go into the sport and other times hinting at the stereotypes that people have towards the intelligence of the athletes.

It's smart and funny, though, and while the film's subject of aging is pretty serious, there's always a dark tinge of comedy. This is obviously purposeful, because we all need a good laugh in a drama, and Rourke gives it to us with The Ram's persona. Surprisingly, Randy Robinson is a really nice guy, which I doubted going into the film. I personally thought Rourke would play a giant tool, and it was pleasant to find that the audience could really side with the main character. Rourke gives Randy a good, but misguided, heart, and while he fails in most of his social skills, he at least attempts to woo the people he loves in his life. For that, it's easy to admire and feel sorry for Randy when he is rejected.

This brings me to something that bothered me throughout the movie, though. I wondered why the hell Cassidy was being such a bitch to Randy. She would flirt all over the place with him, and then, when he inevitably came around to asking her out, she would be wishy-washy and finally turn him down. It was easy to see that she had feelings for him, but in the end, I didn't buy the fact that she was rejecting him because she felt he only wanted her for sex. He already has that - you're giving him a lap dance! There's not much more left! Other than that, though, Marisa Tomei gives a great performance. Even though her character pissed me off more than charmed me, there was still a moment where one felt a bit of sorrow for her along with Randy.


Evan Rachel Wood, though having an infinitesimally small role, succeeds because of her ability to make her character stand out and feel well-known. We only meet her for maybe half an hour, but almost right from the beginning, we feel like we know her more than we should. It might be just her personality that seems familiar, but either way, her presence should be applauded because of the fact that, for the audience to understand the futility that Randy feels, they must feel the emotional strain between Randy and Stephanie.

The theme of growing old is rampant through the movie, a scary thought when one gets down to it. Randy and Cassidy are two people that are directly affected by age, their jobs both hinging on the fact that they need to be strong and look young and beautiful, respectively. There's a slight sinister undertone, one of which urges both characters to give up what they love or lose everything they have. This is ultimately the draw of the film; while it seems the writers were focused on this, the love between Cassidy and Randy, and Randy's relationship with his daughter, the first is what is fleshed out the most and is the most engaging. Cassidy and Randy's romance takes a back seat, and seems less than important in the long run.


The Wrestler is a film that grapples with the audience. From the beginning, there's a weird technique used by the cameramen that is both interesting and disorienting - like a documentary, the camera follows behind Rourke as he walks us through our first night with him. While a little shaky, it's an interesting approach; the only problem I had with it is the fact that I couldn't find a reason why they did this.

There's also some misleading plot events that tend to give the viewer a false representation of what's to come in the film. I think this is really important in regards to entertainment value, because later in the film, all of the plot seems to fall into place and become fairly foreseeable.
Keep them guessing, am I right? Yes I am.


On the other hand, the ending of the film is really disappointing because of the annoying cliffhanger. Okay, allow the audience to gather their own conclusions of what will happen to Randy after he goes back to wrestling... I guess I can see that. BUT! I hated the fact that we had been subjected to Randy's romance with Cassidy only to see nothing happen with them. It seemed pointless at the end and a really big letdown without confrontation. For being a film about wrestling, there was actually very few instances of verbal contact.

Even with a couple disappointments, however, The Wrestler is sensorially appealing with its fighting sequences, emotionally disturbing with its views on aging, and overall, gripping in its telling of a simple story. Rourke is definitely Oscar material here, easily grabbing the viewer with his huge, rippled hands, and you get to see his tanned ass a couple of times. Hear that? YOU SEE MICKEY ROURKE'S ASS. Who's in, ladies? Not to mention the fact that the supporting cast is on their A-game as well, one should have no problem concentrating on the film, and though the runtime is pretty long, it goes by relatively quickly. Chuckles and sadness go hand in hand here, but just be ready for a "FUCKING A!" annoying ending. Well, in my opinion, at least.

The Wrestler on Rotten Tomatoes