Bloody Brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2009)

I am no fan of American style wrestling, yet this superb tale of an ageing, fading wrestler is a triumph. Lead, Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson delivers a career defining performance of pathos and power. The wrestling scenes are visceral and blood soaked, and the supporting cast consistently excel, however brief "their moment". Reputedly shot for under $7m, it does not have a low budget feel to it, proving once again that fine acting and a good script beat dollars and CGI. The dressing room and "backstage" shots feature working wrestlers adding to the authenticity of the film.
The lead story of "The Ram's" demise is mirrored by the supporting sub plot of lap dancer Cassidy, who also "sells" her flesh with time running out on her. Well played by the marvellous Marisa Tomei, who at 44, still has a body to be proud of, the part is underwritten and neatly contrasts with the hell-bound "Ram".Evan Rachel Wood plays a thoughtful cameo as Stephanie,Randy's estranged daughter, providing the film's most poignant scene as her father takes her to visit a childhood seaside haunt to reminisce and build bridges.
"Raw" most accurately defines the films ambiance, whether it is the bruised and broken flesh of the ring, Randy's explicit "tail-gunning" of a good time girl when he should have his mind on taking his daughter out for dinner, or his plaintiff desperation at pursuing the only thing he knows, wrestling, against the odds. It is rumoured that Nicholas Cage was screen tested for this role, which is odd, because it reprises some of the themes of Cage's role in "Leaving Las Vegas". The headlong crash to destruction, the "tart with a heart" and a worthy script feature in both. A carefully chosen soundtrack ably underpins the proceedings, although Bruce Springsteen's custom written "The Wrestler" is absurdly tossed away with the credits rather than interwoven into the story.
My only real concern is where the audience is for this. The young and pre- teenage audience, the bedrock fans of wrestling are excluded by its certification. And the casual adult audience may not be attracted by the ostensibly "uncool" subject matter. That would be a shame, as a sophisticated audience will appreciate the Shakespearian Tragedy of the plot, and Rourke's finest two hours.