Round and Round

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2009)

Greetings again from the darkness. Darren Aronofsky is quickly joining the elite as the breadth and depth of his films continue to amaze (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain). Here, he takes Robert Siegel's script and turns it on its ear. The best decision he made? Standing firm on his choice of Mickey Rourke, rather than Nic Cage. Rourke brings soul to this film that Cage has never even read about.
Of course, the parallels between the story and Rourke's real life are well documented and somehow that is no distraction at all ... in fact, it adds to the realism and affect. Rourke's performance cannot be overstated. He is The Ram! Sure, he did a great job with the wrestling scenes, but that's just the tip. Watching him get out of bed, his hulking walk, the labored breathing and the lighting up in the ring ... those are the moments that heighten the performance and, in the end, make this movie so strong.
Randy (not Robin!) the Ram is a sweet, gentle, lonely man just trying to figure out how to make a life after all these years. His life begs the question if it is better to have glory days to look back on or to have no glory days at all. It is painful watching him desperately trying to connect with someone ... either his angry, estranged daughter (played well by Evan Rachel Wood) or the tired, re-focused, middle-aged stripper played by Maris Tomei. He doesn't know what he wants, he just wants something.
Aronofsky is to be commended for his take on the industry of wrestling. He is quite respectful for these entertainers who work hard, and literally bleed, for their craft. More importantly, he captures the community of wrestlers. These guys care for each other and a bond exists that only they understand. While at an autograph show, Rourke's character catches a glimpse of his future and it's not pretty.
Some of my favorite scenes were: Randy and his daughter re-visiting the desolate boardwalk of yesteryear (analogy for Randy); drinking a beer and re-living the 80's with Tomei; and the fascinating backroom walk to his entry into the deli ... treated just like his walk to the ring at a wrestling event! Aronofsky treats much of this in quasi-documentary style, but Rourke's life is shown, warts and all. We feel his pain after a match and after heart surgery ... and as he is shut down by Wood and Tomei. This is not much of a motivational film, but it is fascinating and not to be missed by those who can appreciate an amazing performance. For fun, go home and put in your DVD of Body Heat or Diner ... compare the Mickey Rourke of 25 years ago to the Randy the Ram of that era. Also, gotta love the cool Springsteen song that ends the film.