So Jim decided I should watch “The Wrestler” (he has already seen it), and it conveniently fits into this weird wrestling phase I am doing this week. I’ve never actually saw a trailer for this movie, and when it did come out last year, I did not really care for it. Because I just thought to be another movie about wrestling, not really worth my time, shame on me. I did later find out that Mr. Aronofsky directed and Mickey Rourke was in this movie. For sure these are great reasons to see a movie, but now because it was hyped a lot, did I enjoy this movie, or did the hype kill it?
For the few that haven’t seen this movie, the story goes something like this. Randy “The Ram” Robinson is an aging pro-wrestler, who hit his prime back in the 80’s. Now that he has fallen out of the limelight, he barely makes ends meet doing small time wrestling gigs and works part time at a grocery store. Life is grim as it is, and to top it all off, his daughter hates him and he slowly falls for a stripper. After a health problem, he is forced to make a decision: Live a normal life and retire from wrestling or risk it all for a few more moments of fame.
To start off I am going to state the most obvious fact. Mickey Rourke was amazing, he played Randy so perfectly. Randy was desperate, ugly, delusional and just plain sad. I wasn’t too sure who they were basing Randy off. But after watching “Beyond the Mat” he is some weird fusion mix of Terry Funk, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Hulk Hogan. Randy was physically injured and resistant to retiring just like Funk, drug and daughter problems just like The Snake, and lastly a huge fan favourite and had an Iranian nemesis like Hogan. Just astonishing how well the character Randy was portrayed and created, I just want to believe that every washed up wrestler is like him.
Especially after watching the wrestling documentary, all the wrestling culture is fresh in my head. And I loved to pick out all the little things. Taking out the ladder under the ring, the EWC style wrestling and the over the top introductions into the ring. Also, Randy’s depressing relationships are so intriguing to watch. Even though they are kind of obvious of what is going to happen next, it held my interest. Especially him and his daughter, for the longest time I was cheering him on and just hoping for the best. And at that moment, I knew sucked me in for the ride. I was there in the ring, in the shitty trailer, hell I was in his mind when all this happened.
I can go on and talk about all the symbolism, and themes of the movie. Such as, how funny it was that he drove a Dodge Ram caravan or how he kicks Wheaties box as his way out of the store. It is not all about that that I liked it so much. This was Randy’s story and I went on a ride with him, and it was astonishing! Glad I saw this movie, now I really want to see Black Swan.
(Great FFF, Jim) :)
ReplyDeletePuneet, you definitely will see Aronofsky's hand in Black Swan after having seen The Wrestler. And I love how you picked up on the very intimate psychological portrait of Mickey Rourke's character. I think that without knowing a lot about him, that must be this director's special touch. I was like you in that I didn't expect to love this movie, and I didn't hear any hype about it at all until after I had seen Black Swan. But once it was playing, it was mesmerizing. :)