The Wrestler (2008)

Damn, this is a fine piece of cinema.

Now first a disclaimer: I'm not particularly fond of Darren Aronofsky's work. That might elicit responses of booh's and hisses, but this will not change that simple fact. I am however, very fond of this film for various reasons which I will get into right away.

For starters, this is a very gritty story, very real and very close to events that can and do happen. No overt melodrama, no beefing up the story or the conflicts, no major things that happen and change people's lives for ever. No, this hits close to home in the confines of a portrayal of a man who pretty much fails at everything in life (be it through his own doing or not), except for the one thing he has a passion for, namely his life in professional wrestling. Going from sold out arenas to small, often empty venues and getting injured for a measly pay is what also happens in real life, there are plenty of examples of this. Nothing is sugarcoated and at the same time, nothing is overplayed or overblown and that makes it all the more compelling. It's very human drama at its core and that really speaks to the viewer.

The performances are all grade A solid. You can not really find a fault with Marisa Tomei's part as the somewhat clichéd stripper with a heart of gold, but she keeps the balance and goes for it. She's just a very natural actress, a fact that has often been overlooked and I'm not sure how her role in the newest Spider-Man films could do that, because she has a bit part there at best. But here she can run the gamut.

But let us be honest: the main, if indeed, sole reason to watch this is the stellar performance of Mickey Rourke. He doesn't just play the character of Randy Ramzinski, he 'is' that character. He is so completely believable, a man who has but one passion in his life (his sport) and unfortunately, he pretty much sucks at everything else. He has not been a good father, he is awkward in his love life because he doesn't really know how to genuinely talk to women and he lives in a trailer because he doesn't know when he will next have some money. Join with that his ageing and that he suffers a heartattack that will seriously hamper his one bright spot in life and the setup is ready to play out.

Occasionally, the story does have its predictable moments, but most is really in-your-face real and because it is so small scale, you feel and believe every minute of it. The scene where Randy is working and he finally snaps because some customers are total pricks is very relatable.

A small character piece like this is worth every second of your time, especially when it's done so well. Even if you don't know anything about wrestling or even don't like it, that doesn't matter. In the end, this is a story about people and an excellent one at that.