Review Recall: The Wrestler

Review Recall: The Wrestler

I went to watch WWE Raw live in Liverpool on Monday. Sitting there, I realised something ever so shocking. Two of my biggest loves in life are Film and Pro Wrestling. But, I have never written about the film ‘The Wrestler’. Well, Fear not faithful film fans as today’s Review Recall is going all the way back to 2007 to Darren Aronofsky’s: The Wrestler.

The Plot: Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) used to be one of the great Pro Wrestlers of the 80s. He sold out the biggest stadiums all over the world and was adored by thousands. However, time goes on, but Randy has not quit wrestling. Now living in a trailer, wrestling to very few, Randy is on his way out. That is, until he is given an opportunity to recreate his most famous match ever with the Ayatollah.

Randy’s luck soon changes for the worst, when he suffers a heart attack on the way back from a match. Told to never wrestle again, Randy has a decision to make. Whether to quit the one thing he was good at for good, or Wrestle to almost certain death. 

The Film: OK, I’m going to try and stay as impartial as possible, but it’s going to be damn hard. Darren Aronofsky breaks the habit of a life time with ‘The Wrestler’. Instead of the stylised piece that you would expect from the director of PI and Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky brings realism into the forefront, in what is without a doubt, his most realistic film yet. 

Dirty and gritty The Wrestler feels like a true interpretation of a man who’s past his prime, holding onto whatever glory he had. It’s a story that has been told countless times, about an old warrior who yearns for the glory days. Aronofsky modernises the myth into a film with a message as relevant as any. 

However, undoubtedly the greatest moment of the movie is the end. Normally, I’m not bothered about spoilers as I’m of the belief that if you don’t want things spoiled, you watch them when they come out. However, I’m not going to spoil the end for you. A simple ending, but with the context of everything that has preceded it, makes it one of the most powerful endings in Movie history. 

That being said, The Wrestler isn’t perfect. I think there are bits that anybody who isn’t a wrestling fan will not like and some of the story is quite predictable. But, that’s just a minor detail. 

The Performances: When the film was in pre-production, it was Nicholas Cage who was pegged for Randy ‘The Ram’. However, the movie lost a lot of its funding and they eventually signed Rourke. That being said, if anybody else played Randy, I am a 100% certain that ‘The Wrestler’ would not have been as good. 

Mickey Rourke is Randy. Their journeys have been the same and it’s evident that Mickey uses some of his own turmoil to bring Randy to life. Don’t get me wrong, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachael Wood are great in their roles, but from minute one, this is Mickey’s film.

The Verdict: A brilliant portrayal of what happens when the fame runs out capped off by an A* performance by Mickey Rourke, who was robbed by the Academy. 9/10

What do you think? Am I too generous?  Feel free to comment. 

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Until next time, enjoy the show

Daniel Morris