The Wrestler

Genre: Drama
Watched With: Nobody @ The Cathay (14/02)
Snacks: Green Tea

I heard 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper cried after watching this.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a wrestling god in the 1980s. His stardom was monumental and everyone loved him.
But it's been 20 years and now Mickey is working at a supermarket. He still wrestles though - at weekend wrestling shows in small towns.
The newer and younger wrestlers show him the respect he deserves and the people who still recognize him still love him.

But Randy doesn't kid himself.
He spends a good amount of his time at a stripclub where he pines for Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) - one of the dancers.
And she likes him too but rejects his advances because of her own personal policy of not getting involved with her customers.

One day a promoter pitches him an idea.
To stage a re-match between The Ram and his arch-nemesis from the 80s - The Ayatollah (Ernest Miller) because people would pay good money to see it.
And The Ram of course agrees to it.

But along the way The Ram suffers a heart attack.
And the doctors tell him to stop wrestling or else the next heart attack will kill him.
But wrestling is All that Randy knows. How can he possibly stop?

The heart attack (and the break from wrestling) gives him a chance to re-evaluate his current state. And Randy decides he'd like to re-connect with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) whom he abandoned when she was a child because he was too busy with his career.
Randy also decides he doesn't want to be alone anymore and also reveals his true feelings to Cassidy hoping she'll accept him.

So giving on wrestling is a good thing for The Ram.
Right?

Critics are saying this was the best movie of the year.
People are saying that it deserves all the Best Picture awards.
I say nonsense.
Aronofsky is a good director. But awards? I don't think so.

But what i will agree with is - Mickey Rourke is a genius.
And he deserves to win all the Best Actor awards he's up for.

Maybe it's because this film is a self-reflection on the state Rourke was in not too long ago after being down and out and cast out of the Hollywood limelight.
And he slowly made his way back up.
And performance in this film shows you that side of him.
And it is probably that factor that allows him to give him one of the best performances I've seen in a movie.

It's like you're watching Mickey Rourke play himself.

Maybe a bit draggy at parts. But it is worth watching.
For Mickey Rourke if nothing else.

Final Verdict: