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The Wrestler review
:. Director: Darren Aronofsky
:. Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei
:. Script: Robert D. Siegel
:. Running Time: 1:49
:. Year: 2008
:. Country: USA
:. Official Site: The Wrestler
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With his hearing aid, his long dyed hair and a face which has been disgraced by one too many punches, Mickey Rourke's rough and selfless incarnation of a washed-out wrestler called Randy the Ram could easily be seen as a metaphor for the actor's career. What might make you think otherwise, however, is the state of his body, which sharply contrasts with his persona, making him look like an ageless and indestructible machine.
Several times during the film, Randy is referred to as a piece of meat, whether it's in his own words or by working as a butcher, and watching the numerous scenes where he gets injured, it becomes clear that Mr. Aronofsky's film is a celebration of the Body. Whether its pain comes from an adversary or is self-inflicted, this body seems, at least for a while, to be an unbreakable shield behind which a shattered soul can hide. When the shield breaks, Randy is forced to come out of his own shadow, revealing an emotional being who seems lost without his armor.
What Mr. Aronofsky tells us here is that, even if the end of the road is near, "mythical" figures can always come back as long as they still have a sense of integrity; and the fact that The Wrestler was written with Mr. Rourke in mind makes it clear that the paths of both Randy and the actor are similar. Both men followed their passion, remaining true to themselves and, despite having fading careers, they kept their strength intact — a body for one and an acting talent for the other.
By the time this movie comes out, you will probably have heard many times that this movie closely resembles the quite satisfying — Rocky Balboa, an easy comparison for those "critics" strong in punchlines and low in film culture. The truth is that this theme has always been present in cinema, most particularly in westerns — from John Wayne to Clint Eastwood — and it would be like saying that all westerns featuring a gunslinger, a saloon and a revenge plot are the same. The fact that Mr. Rourke has had a career as a professional boxer makes it too obvious for just being a rip-off. Rather, both films are variations based on the same settings, but while Rocky Balboa was built on passive and glamorized nostalgia, The Wrestler offers a much rougher look, uncompromising and ironic, which borders on the reality of its actor — a comeback and awards.
In terms of filmography, The Wrestler marks the return of Mr. Aronofsky to the indie landscape from which he originated, following his somewhat disappointing big sci-fi philosophical epic The Fountain. The Wrestler is clearly conceived as a less ambitious work, a back-to-the-roots experience, which is also his first traditional picture, focusing on realism rather than conveying a message through sophisticated storytelling and editing; watching The Wrestler without knowing he's behind the camera, you wouldn't assume he directed it as his trademark style is nowhere to be found here. Noticeable is that Mr. Aronofsky is more natural when it comes to creating edgy and cerebral stories rather than painting relationships, as he tends to be pretty heavy-handed on this subject, bordering on pathos as The Fountain could already attest. He suffers from the same sin when it also comes to social commentary, most characters arrive with heavy "baggage", trying to say to say too much without enough content to back it up.
Mr. Rourke is obviously the backbone of The Wrestler. His performance is superbly bare, emotional and unglamorized; the actor portrays a beautiful loser with a strong sense of self-mockery rather than the usual self-indulgent angle most Hollywood actors would go for, with golden statuettes in mind. Marisa Tomei's stint as a stripper is equally rough and selfless, perfectly complementing Mr. Rourke's; the two actors transcend this small and modest film and make it memorable.
Fred Thom
 Requiem For A Dream review
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