The Wrestler
Review
by Clint Morris
He may have a new face but that’s definitely the old Mickey Rourke hiding under that plastic phizog.
The
Mickey Rourke of The Wrestler looks nothing like the Mickey Rourke
of say, The Pope of Greenwich Village or Barfly - heck, he
doesn’t even sound like the same guy. And there’s no way in hell
Hollywood would cast Rourke in the role of oversexed stud ‘John’ in Nine and a Half Weeks if it were made today. This guy’s in a
totally different league than the skinny charmer of the Reagan-era. Physically, the actor has gone from Bruce Willis (check out any of his
earlier pictures and tell me Rourke doesn’t remind you of Bruno – he
even sounds like the Die Hard star) to Sylvester Stallone in a
matter of a decade. Boxing may have done away with his pretty-boy
looks, but it never stole his talent. That’s for bloody sure. And
Rourke’s determined to prove that second chances do exist.
It's
taken him a few years, but one of the best actors of the '80s has become
the star attraction of the acting circuit yet again – and its all
thanks to two parts in particular; that of the strong-jawed
Frankenstein Big Marv in the visual-actioner Sin City and wrestler
Randy the Ram, forlorn superstar-of-yesteryear, in director Darren
Aronofsky’s latest, The Wrestler.
The Wrestler, in
particular, if even because Rourke’s carrying the film (as opposed to Sin City where he was merely part of an immense ensemble), is proof
of the renaissance. It’s a role the man was seemingly born to play –
especially considering how closely the storyline resembles his own life
(though, as mentioned, Rourke boxed, not wrestled).
Randy "The
Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler.
Now, 20 years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of
diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centres around
New Jersey.
Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood, Across the Universe) and unable to sustain any real relationships
(except perhaps a blossoming friendship with an aging stripper, played
by Marisa Tomei), Randy’s only happiness comes from being in that ring
and hearing his fans cheer him on. But a heart attack forces him into
retirement and as his sense of identity starts to slip away he begins
to reevaluate his life.
The Wrestler is a straightforward but
brilliant movie. Its merely pure performance (and, well, muscle too –
Rourke has totally transformed himself for the role; that couldn’t have
been easy) and gold writing. But you won’t be as touched like you will
be here by anything with a conglomerate of special effects or star
cameos. Not even close. This plays as real as being pinched while
dreaming. And stings just as much.
Rourke is an absolute
revelation in the role of the fallen star, Randy. If he’s not handed
some kind of golden statue for his brave and touching performance, I’ll
eat my hat. He’s – excuse the pun – a knockout. The guy has poured his
heart and soul into the character and it shows. Aronofsky was probably
blunt with the guy and told him this could be his comeback role – and
the actor listened. And listened good. The supporting cast aren’t too
shabby either – Evan Rachel Wood is at her dependable best, playing
Randy’s estranged and unforgiving daughter, whilst Oscar Winner Marisa
Tomei reminds people it wasn’t a stuff-up when she won the statue all
those years ago for My Cousin Vinny by dishing out one of the
bravest and most memorable performances from an actress this year – but
this is undeniably Rourke’s movie. He’s all over it.
Some are
quick to dismiss The Wrestler as a twist on Rocky Balboa. Sure,
the films have their similarities – old guys looking to re-enter the
game for one last shot, estranged kid, and so on – but the films are
totally dissimilar in tone. Balboa is an uplifting story – a
feel-good movie. There’s nothing very feel good about The Wrestler
– and it isn’t so much uplifting as it is a sad portrait of a washed-up
former celeb. If Rocky was the movie, then this’d be the
documentary.
Don’t miss what’s undoubtedly one of the best films you’ll see this year. 4 out
of 5
The Wrestler
Australian release: 15th January,
2009
Official
Site: The Wrestler
Cast:
Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Ernest "The Cat" Miller, Evan Rachel Wood.
Director:
Darren Aronofsky.
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