Jason KingThe Wrestler ($15-)
January 18th 2009 08:59
Category: No Category
The Wrestler ($15-)
"I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be all alone, I just don't want you to hate me." The theme of the film and the theme of Mickey Rourke. No one could have pulled off this part so destined for himself than Mickey Rourke. A comeback of near perfect proportions. An actor and a charatcer with all bullshit and makeup removed.
The protagonist is Randy "the Ram" Robinson – a star wrestler in the 1980s, now grinding away at the bottom of the US fight circuit, but dreaming of his comeback. Rourke too was a golden boy of the 1980s, but dramatically lost his way, and his looks, in his misguided determination to be a boxer. Rourke hasn't been absent from the screen, but it's true that his tender, self-revealing performance here represents a superb comeback. He is flawless.
Marissa Tomei is also magnificent in a role well more deserving of an Oscar than her character in My Cousin Vinney. She does not hold back and is an equal to Mickey Rourke in performance. For someone of her age her body is divine and she does not show any embarassment in her use of her body as a sexual instrument. Her dancing in seedy lap dance club is outstanding.
The characters of Rourke (Randy) and Tomei (Cassidy) are ones on a parralel life of mistaken choices and dire living, but whereas Randy is stuck waiting the big comeback and forever making wrong choices, Cassidy turns off when not working and is a succesful mum in a decent house. Randy does not steer himself in the right direction, he wallows in depression and purposefully screws up. His knowledge of his mistaken choices lead him to a self damaging spiral of sadness. In my opinion Randy is just not smart, at all, and while he is such a nice guy and someone you want to root for, eventually I felt angry he could not do something right. It is clever direction in showing his total effort and building the audience up for a Hollywood ending to then see the reality of the situation by making him make one of his life's errors showing us that he is a "loser" who is set to self destruct.
I found Evan Rachel Wood's performance also subtle and well played, but her character, Randy's daughter, I thought was a total bitch to Randy. She says some nasty things that make you feel sorry for Randy. But director Darren Aronofsky thinks the audience smarter than most directors and does not spell everything out, he allows you to think for yourselves and he never explains the back story of how these character got to their current predicament. It wasn't until later in the film I felt I could justify the rudeness she gave her dad. And it wasn't until the last couple of minutes, when my brain turned on, that I realised why she treats him the way she did and why his attitude to life and general lack of regard for the right path are the way they are.
The cinematography and grainy docco styled filming of the movie are perfect in providing a total realism to the film. The music is a flashback to the 80's headbanging tunes but he pissed me off when he dissed Nirvana
.
Trivia (thanks IMDB):
1)Nicolas Cage was originally set to star in the movie. He was seen at a Ring of Honor wrestling event in NYC doing research for the part.
2) Reportedly, both Bruce Springsteen and Mickey Rourke were paid no money for their contributions towards the film.
3) The shooting schedule was 35 days.
4) Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei attended the same high school, Edward R. Murrow High School.
5) Darren Aronofsky revealed that Mickey Rourke wasn't the first choice to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson. First choice in line was Nicolas Cage, but he turned the movie down due to creative differences. Second choice was Sylvester Stallone. Aronofsky was trying to get Stallone back in the ring again but he has been too busy working on Rocky Balboa (2006) at the time.
6) Only two days after its completion "The Wrestler" was screened on Venice Film Festival and walked off with the Golden Lion award for Best Picture. Mickey Rourke also would have walked off as Best Actor if the Venice jury chairman, director Wim Wenders, had had his way but Wenders' vigorous campaigning could not topple a longstanding festival rule which insists that one film is not allowed to win both awards. Rourke happily contented himself with finally being the star of a prize-winning picture.
7) Randy "The Ram" Robinson's theme music is "Sweet Child O'Mine" by Guns 'n' Roses.
8) Due to the film's modest budget, W. Axl Rose donated the use of Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" free of charge.
9) Randy "The Ram" Robinson's van is a Dodge Ram.
A very enjoyable movie of great acting, there will be no laughing, but there will be the viewing of superb actors in a superb film and the voyuerism of watching a living train wreck about to happen. Worth $15-. Out Now.
"I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be all alone, I just don't want you to hate me." The theme of the film and the theme of Mickey Rourke. No one could have pulled off this part so destined for himself than Mickey Rourke. A comeback of near perfect proportions. An actor and a charatcer with all bullshit and makeup removed.
The protagonist is Randy "the Ram" Robinson – a star wrestler in the 1980s, now grinding away at the bottom of the US fight circuit, but dreaming of his comeback. Rourke too was a golden boy of the 1980s, but dramatically lost his way, and his looks, in his misguided determination to be a boxer. Rourke hasn't been absent from the screen, but it's true that his tender, self-revealing performance here represents a superb comeback. He is flawless.
Marissa Tomei is also magnificent in a role well more deserving of an Oscar than her character in My Cousin Vinney. She does not hold back and is an equal to Mickey Rourke in performance. For someone of her age her body is divine and she does not show any embarassment in her use of her body as a sexual instrument. Her dancing in seedy lap dance club is outstanding.
The characters of Rourke (Randy) and Tomei (Cassidy) are ones on a parralel life of mistaken choices and dire living, but whereas Randy is stuck waiting the big comeback and forever making wrong choices, Cassidy turns off when not working and is a succesful mum in a decent house. Randy does not steer himself in the right direction, he wallows in depression and purposefully screws up. His knowledge of his mistaken choices lead him to a self damaging spiral of sadness. In my opinion Randy is just not smart, at all, and while he is such a nice guy and someone you want to root for, eventually I felt angry he could not do something right. It is clever direction in showing his total effort and building the audience up for a Hollywood ending to then see the reality of the situation by making him make one of his life's errors showing us that he is a "loser" who is set to self destruct.
I found Evan Rachel Wood's performance also subtle and well played, but her character, Randy's daughter, I thought was a total bitch to Randy. She says some nasty things that make you feel sorry for Randy. But director Darren Aronofsky thinks the audience smarter than most directors and does not spell everything out, he allows you to think for yourselves and he never explains the back story of how these character got to their current predicament. It wasn't until later in the film I felt I could justify the rudeness she gave her dad. And it wasn't until the last couple of minutes, when my brain turned on, that I realised why she treats him the way she did and why his attitude to life and general lack of regard for the right path are the way they are.
The cinematography and grainy docco styled filming of the movie are perfect in providing a total realism to the film. The music is a flashback to the 80's headbanging tunes but he pissed me off when he dissed Nirvana
.Trivia (thanks IMDB):
1)Nicolas Cage was originally set to star in the movie. He was seen at a Ring of Honor wrestling event in NYC doing research for the part.
2) Reportedly, both Bruce Springsteen and Mickey Rourke were paid no money for their contributions towards the film.
3) The shooting schedule was 35 days.
4) Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei attended the same high school, Edward R. Murrow High School.
5) Darren Aronofsky revealed that Mickey Rourke wasn't the first choice to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson. First choice in line was Nicolas Cage, but he turned the movie down due to creative differences. Second choice was Sylvester Stallone. Aronofsky was trying to get Stallone back in the ring again but he has been too busy working on Rocky Balboa (2006) at the time.
6) Only two days after its completion "The Wrestler" was screened on Venice Film Festival and walked off with the Golden Lion award for Best Picture. Mickey Rourke also would have walked off as Best Actor if the Venice jury chairman, director Wim Wenders, had had his way but Wenders' vigorous campaigning could not topple a longstanding festival rule which insists that one film is not allowed to win both awards. Rourke happily contented himself with finally being the star of a prize-winning picture.
7) Randy "The Ram" Robinson's theme music is "Sweet Child O'Mine" by Guns 'n' Roses.
8) Due to the film's modest budget, W. Axl Rose donated the use of Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" free of charge.
9) Randy "The Ram" Robinson's van is a Dodge Ram.
A very enjoyable movie of great acting, there will be no laughing, but there will be the viewing of superb actors in a superb film and the voyuerism of watching a living train wreck about to happen. Worth $15-. Out Now.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Morgan -
I forgot about him in Sin City - that was good! Did not see his acceptance speach unfortunately - will suss it out YouTube.
Janet -
He's been around just in smaller or B grade action film parts. This one is worth watching.
Have a great day!
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Forget the hype and the marketing over substance cries which have started to filter through.
I say - watch it!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Have a fun one!
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
I personally was so moved by this film, almost a week after seeing it I'm still recovering from it, his performance in it only brought to mind how people must must felt when they got to witness Marlon Brando during the first ten years of his career. Rourke's acting was overpowering and as for Evan Rachel Wood - this is the second film that I've seen her in where I've been moved to tears. check out my own review of the Wrestler on my site.
Comment by Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
Nic cage was apparently asked to leave because they wanted Mickey instead, as it was his original choice, as stated by Darren Aronofsky in a recent interview...
Also, his theme music was actually Metal Health by Quiet Riot which played about 20 times during the film. Sweet Child was Mickey's entrance music when he was boxing, so he asked to use it for the final match...
Comment by Wilson Pon
Health 2 Know
Adventure Toes
boxing sound
Business Rope
Fun Places 2 Travel
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Jarrah - didn't know they asked Nic Cage to leave! Have you got a link to that interview somewhere? Would be an interesting read!
Wilson - check it out. Hope you like it. It is very different. More of an arthouse film but sensational in every way!
Thanks for comments people!
Have a great day!
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
A few of our more learned colleague (ie: Sydney Morning Herald reviewers et al) have decreed that the movie is all hype and little substance - a victory for marketing over content.
When it comes to Mickey Rourke however - I suggest that 'substance' has had a few other meanings over the recent past.
Still a great flick.
Cheers champ
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I don't read the reivews in the paper anymore - if they could be any further away from actually film enjoying members of the public they would be.
It's like me reviewing dentist's work.
Comment by Teresa Ralton
MRS SMITH
READ THIS
SISTERS IN CRIME
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Teresa Ralton
MRS SMITH
READ THIS
SISTERS IN CRIME
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness