I finally saw The Wrestler tonight, about a year after its wide-release date. There was a fair amount of critical praise heaped upon it, both by the cinematic community and by the wrestling community. I'm happy to report that it didn't falter under the weight of its tremendous expectations. It's a classic movie, both from a wrestling standpoint and a cinematic one.
For a spoiler free synopsis, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a wrestler trying to hold onto his former glory by working at whatever indie fed will book him. He's well respected in the business, but his outside life is in shambles. He can barely pay rent on his trailer, and when he misses it, he has to sleep in his van. His daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) hates him for being a shitty father. He's desperately in love with a stripper (Marisa Tomei), who doesn't want to cross the line between client/customer and romantic involvement. Furthermore, he suffers a heart attack after a hellish hardcore match with Necro Butcher (playing himself) and is under doctor's orders to quit the business. He has to adjust to life without professional wrestling, the only place where people accept him and the only place where he really excels.
Rourke, Tomei and Wood all turn in fantastic performances. The script is wonderful as well, as it paints a vivid picture of the seediness of the wrestling business as well as the fate that awaits many of our heroes after their usefulness to Vince McMahon has dried up. It's a very stark reminder that charities like Wrestler Rescue are needed badly. In the same turn, it's a story about the underachiever, the guy who was never good at anything except that one thing that happened to be professional wrestling in this film. Yes, the story might have worked with another profession, but director and writer Darren Aronofsky does a brilliant job of blending the character archetype with the world of professional wrestling.
Plus, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the cameos, which included Ernest "The Cat" Miller as The Ayatollah, Ram's most famous opponent, the aforementioned Necro who was surprisingly eloquent and learned-sounding, Nigel McGuinness, Jimmy Valiant, Ron "R-Truth" Killings, Claudio Castagnoli and Austin Aries. ROH, CZW and JAPW among others play prominent roles in the wrestling sequences as well.
And of course, as a red-blooded male, I can't talk about this movie without mentioning how smoking hot Tomei was in her role as the stripper Cassidy. She bares it all, and it's nothing short of fantastic. Yeah, yeah, I'm a pig, whatever, but she should be admired for keeping in shape into her 40s, while women half her age that people consider "hot" can't hold a candle to her. Kudos to you, Ms. Tomei. I can see why George Costanza held such a flame for you.
All in all, I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you're a wrestling fan or a fan of good movies, see it. You'll appreciate it.
