The Wrestler

Genre: Drama

Language: English

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Mickey Rourke (Sin City), Marisa Tomei (Alfie), Evan Rachel Wood

Runtime: 105 Mins

Plot:

Robin Ramzinski, ring name Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), is a Professional wrestler who was a major star in the 1980s, but is now nearly twenty years past his prime and wrestling on the weekends for various independent wrestling promotions. But when he suffers a heart attack, Randy’s doctor tells him he needs to lay off the steroids and stop wrestling. Forced out of show business, he begins to evaluate the state of his life. He tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter and strikes up wary romance with an aging stripper, Pam. For a while, things work out. But as he might resist, the pull of the spotlight us too much for him and Randy attempts once again to fight his way back into the ring.

Watched this on 15 Feb night @ The Cathay with Sylvia.

The movie came to my attention when he beat Brad Pitt and won the Best Actor in Golden Globe. I was like who is this guy and how could he have won the award? How did he do it?

My utmost impression of the film was that the back view of Mickey Rourke, almost 70% of the film was his back view. But even his back view is acting. Whenever he walked to work or he was walking to wrestle, even as he walked into the club, I could imagine his facial expression, wondering what was his feeling. Although this way of filming may not be uncomfortable as the cameraman is always following behind the actor, it is sort of portraying the story of a lonely man through his back.

The wrestling scenes brought back memories of those days I used to watch WWF when I was young. It was amusing to see that the wrestlers actually decide the moves before their match. Although back then I knew that wrestling was really a put-up show but never did I know that all those fake stuff were made up that way. Also when Randy had to work in the supermarket meat counter, I was reminded again that I ever worked at the ham counter when i was younger.

And in the final scene Randy salutes the cheering crowd and leaps from the ropes doing his "Ram Jam" and the shot cuts to black. What a way to end the story.

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 Would Mickey Rourke win the award if the ending was not like that?