The Wrestler

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2009)

The Wrestler is about a middle age man named Randy Robinson, who for the past twenty, or so years, has made a living as a professional wrestler. He used to be at the top of his game and considered one of the best, but now as he is encountering health problems and aging, Randy is still good, but doesn't always get the same breaks as he once did career wise. We see Randy struggling to make ends meet and taking up other work in order to bring more money in and we also see him reach out and try to connect with people, all the while also not being able to change from the hard lifestyle he has lived for quite some time now, including alcohol, drugs and a lot of wear and tear on his body. Randy must now choose what is most important to him in life and how he is to accomplish those things and stay true to his promises as well as becoming healthier and getting rid of his own personal demons and trying to get his once promising career and life back. The Wrestler completely blew me away when I saw it. I thought Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy was nothing short of brilliant because of the way he went all out for this role and just the emotion that pours through almost every scene he is in. It's a brilliant performance and one worthy of all the awards it is getting. The supporting performances by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood are very good as well. I like how the film's director shot the film in a very gritty and realistic style approach making everything look all the more real, drab and depressing. This is not a fancy bells and whistles film, it is just raw and honest, much like the characters and the story. I for one really appreciated this style of direction and thought that it suited the film beautifully. The story for me was captivating from the first frame of the film to the last. The characters are so well developed and we learn so much about them in the two hours we are watching them, that you could swear you have known them for an eternity. The way the film shows the character's flaws and weaknesses only adds to the great character study by showing these characters as who they really are and not sugar coating anything. At times we can feel sorry for these characters, hate them and even have some pity for them. All of this is perfected by a great original screenplay and the great performances that go along with it. The wrestling scenes themselves are brutally violent, but the way they are set up are fascinating to watch and the way the cast and crew pulled them off is also applaud worthy. I liked how the film showed a darker side to human nature and showed us characters and lifestyles that most people might normally look away from, but here in this film they are brought out in front and in focus and while you the viewer may still not agree with these characters, or what they are doing, the way they live or perhaps damage their lives is heartbreaking to watch and you literally can not look away while this is going on. This is a very powerful movie that is brutally honest and I mean that in the best way possible. The film also leaves you with a lot of emotions and some scenes will definitely stay with you long after the movie. What a rewarding experience it was to see such a brilliant piece of art like this. One of 2008's best films (if not the best film of that year) and also one of the best of the past 10 years, or so. If a theatre near you has still not gotten The Wrestler be sure to e-mail your local theatre chains and nag them until they get it because this is just great stuff to behold and deserves to be seen.