Thank God for the Oscars. For two months the cinemas are full of some great films. I have seen some good movies this last couple of months and none of them were remakes. I must say I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this, I read the script a few months back and while thought it was good it never really blew me away. I hate wrestling and never really liked Mickey Rourke, so was not expecting to be bowled over.

But it was fantastic, really really brilliant. I thought Mickey Rourke was just sensational as Randy the Ram, a relic from the 80's wrestling scene. A man who spends his time on the independent wrestling circuit trying to earn enough to pay the rent and maybe enjoy the odd dance from the stripper he has a thing for (Marisa Tomei is very good as Cassidy the lapdancer, a cracking performance that really deserves an Oscar nomination).

It is a simple story really, certainly no ground being broken but what Darren Aronofsky has done so well is to just back off and let his two leads  get on with it and for me that is the sign of a great director. You cannot help but get sucked into Randy's world when it is Rourke who is taking you there. The camera literally follows him wherever he goes, it really does feel like a documentary at times and it works brilliantly. The scenes in the ring are brutal, the scenes outside the ring are just as brutal, it is a great piece of filmmaking.

After assuming that Sean Penn was a nailed-on certainty for the Oscar I do have to say I have completely changed my mind. It would be a inconceivable to me for Rourke not to win for this.

I must admit I have never seen a Darren Aronofsky film before but I intend to watch 'The Fountain' after this. I have also noticed that his next project is a remake of Robocop, while the whole remake thing does nothing for me I would actually be quite interested in seeing anything this guy makes next. What about Mickey Rourke as Robocop! How cool would that be?

Cracking film.

This has been one of those films I have been waiting for and I wasn't disappointed.

Probably the most accurate and respectful wrestling film ever made.

It has enough of everything else to appeal to more than just wrestling fans.

The depiction of the Independent wrestler is accurate. Most of them carry a "real" job (Mostly a teacher) because they cannot get enough bookings to make a living. The only way to have a career is to get signed and even that doesn't guarantee anything making less money than most of us. They have to be called up to the big show (WWE or TNA) before they can make any money.

I appreciated this film for what it was and what it tried to do.

I liked this too. Very strong acting from all involved. Mickey Rourke derserves an Oscar, Marisa Tomei was great too. The wrestling matches were stunning, very realistic but for me, the best part is Randy working behind the counter in the shop serving the customers.

I'm not a wrestling fan, not watched any since I was a wee boy ten years ago but you don't need to be a fan to like this.

One thing that bugged me, and I totally understand why he done it, is the camera showing the back of Randy's bleached hair for a large portion of the film. I know the director is trying to show us his life, like we are following him every step of the way but it bugged me because it was happening so often. I know other people will think that worked great like he intended it but not for me. I think I seen more of the back of his head than his face. Then again, It's Mickey Rourke we're talking about so maybe that's a good thing.

Not bad.  Mostly meh.  Mickey Rourke did pretty good, and I liked Rachel Evan Wood as his daughter.  She really let it fly at him, after so very convincingly allowing herself to be sucked back in.  That felt very realistic to me, so I liked that part.  It seemed like a lot of the stripper stuff was used to fill up screen time.  At least to me it seemed that way.

I liked the behind the scenes portions of the Wrestler before and after the matches.  Great to see what I've always heard was the reality behind all the hatred.  Cool.

It was a very interesting subject, being a big fan of early to mid eighties wrestling, and that is what drew me to watching it in the first place.  It just never took off.  It came off too much as a documentary, and the nudity seemed like it was used to attract, rather than to move the story forward.

6/10

Quoted from steven8 and the nudity seemed like it was used to attract, rather than to move the story forward.

I thought the nudity/stripping was very important as the film drew many parallels between Randy and Cassidy; particularly those dealing with how they used (and abused) their bodies.  Also, it wasn't done tastelessly or in a gratuitous manner.

Quoted from dresseme I thought the nudity/stripping was very important as the film drew many parallels between Randy and Cassidy; particularly those dealing with how they used (and abused) their bodies.  Also, it wasn't done tastelessly or in a gratuitous manner.

That's how easily something can be seen differently by two people.  It seemed they spent more screen time on it than was needed.  To me, that is.

Quoted from steven8 That's how easily something can be sen differently by two people.  It seemed they spent more screen time on it than was needed.  To me, that is.

Well, also, the nudity wasn't really appealing (and that was also the point).  It was kind of depressing, not really erotic.

Quoted from dresseme Well, also, the nudity wasn't really appealing (and that was also the point).  It was kind of depressing, not really erotic.

That much is certainly true.  Thing is, the whole movie was kind of depressing.  At least Randy went out with his boots on!

Quoted from steven8 At least Randy went out with his boots on!

Amen to that.  

Yeah, this is the first movie that made me cry a river in the theater.

Mickey Rourke's speech to his daughter, and the very ending.  Other scenes.

Oh man I cried.  It just hit me hard.  very good movie.

Quoted from slabstaa Mickey Rourke's speech to his daughter, and the very ending.  Other scenes.

I remember reading that Rourke's speech at the end (like many things in the film) was improvised.  To me, that makes it all the more powerful, especially because the film paralleled Rourke's own life; giving that much more meaning to what he was saying.

Quoted from dresseme To me, that makes it all the more powerful, especially because the film paralleled Rourke's own life; giving that much more meaning to what he was saying.

Stallone did the same thing in Rocky Balboa

Michel

Quoted from michel Stallone did the same thing in Rocky Balboa

Really?  Did not know that.

I think Stallone did a phenomenal job resurrecting himself.  People laughed (much like in his films) when he tried to come back, but now he's making films again that people are actually excited about ("The Expendables").

Stallone was inspired by in own life and (mostly) his career to write the last Rocky. You can feel it in the dialogs. Till that film, I respect a little more Stallone.

Michel

Quoted from dresseme but now he's making films again that people are actually excited about ("The Expendables").

o yea dude, fuckin a.  Eric Roberts and Stone Cold Steve Austin?  I'm seeing that one for sure.

Quoted from dresseme I remember reading that Rourke's speech at the end (like many things in the film) was improvised.  To me, that makes it all the more powerful, especially because the film paralleled Rourke's own life; giving that much more meaning to what he was saying.

Yeah and it really moved me.  Reminds me of some things that I have going on.  Not all the wrestling stuff but the similar stuff going on with him, and all that he talked about, it was really movinng.

Mickey Rourke is the shiznit, especially in Year of the Dragon

This movie was the fucking bomb. Anyone who didn't like this was either too young, too old or too Sniper to identify with the generation Randy "the Ram" Robinson came from. I can't believe more people on this site haven't been talking it up. Aronofsky is the new Scorcsese. Sure if you tried hard enough you might be able to split hairs and pick some faults but I don't go the movies to do that.

I feel rather indeferent about this movie. It wasn't bad at all but it was just too predictable for my taste.

To be clear, I don't like wrestling today... I grew up in the 80's myself and anyone from that period will automatically know that wrestling today and wrestling then are not the same thing.  Not because it was ever "REAL" but simply because it was just better. Better in everyway... You had characters. You had personality. You had gimmicks and feuds and these larger than life, super hero like, warriors doing battle in a theatric way each and every week... It, much like everything else from the 80's, will never be duplicated.

Music, Movies, even video games were all at their peak in the 80's... So it's no surprise I was drawn to this movie. This movie had so many scenes in it that were real. And I'm not talking about the matches or even the acting (although often brilliant)... I'm talking more about the situations. The characters. The story and confliction between everyone. It was them, the actors, taking us by the hand and leading us right into this incredibly seedy world, a lonely world, of a man past his prime and past the point of going back and making amends for the things he had done.

We feel sorry for him, not because he's a great guy... but because he's human. He fucked up. He made a lot of mistakes and I think that most would walk away with the impression he was a little more than selfish in his day.

All that, however, comes full circle some 20 years later in life when not only do we realize it, but so has he. He wants to atone for what he missed out on with his daughter and he wants so badly to have someone in his life. Someone who would care for him or about him. He was a lonely man... This, no more present, in the scene when he had gotten home from heart surgery and he's laying around the trailer, bored... He looks to his Nintendo. He goes outside and ask Adam

"Hey, Adam... Wanna play Nintendo?"

They then show the two booting up a primitive Nintendo game called "Wrestle Jam" ... This was a brilliant scene, probably the best in the entire movie. It showed us everything we needed to know about him as a person. He was dated. He was behind the times. He had little to nothing... and only after 1 short match with Adam we see, as cool as "THE RAM" is in theory to this kid. He's still a wash up and a lonely man with nothing.

A very powerful scene when you go back and look at how Mickey shakes the kids hand and the kid literally has to pry his hand out of his to leave.  Not saying that Mickey was gonna hurt or harm him... Not at all. He simply didn't want him to leave just yet.

An emotional scene to say the least.

I think, if anything, Evan Rachale Wood was the weak link... She played the part alright, but there just wasn't enough there for me to get behind her cause. He's making an effort and trying and she's just being too swift in her actions. I also didn't care for the fact he missed 1 meeting, came some 3 hours later, and that... That alone was the final straw?? No... I think she should've heard him out a bit more. At very least he should've lied in the end but he didnt'... Showing us, he has grown, she has not.

The stripper scenes were very much needed. It was his second home for all intense and purposes. Marisa did a bang up job at that. She might be 40 something, but she still has a body...  

In the end... Everything in this movie worked. Sean Penn is a great, versatile actor to be sure but Mickey deserved the Oscar here. He was given the opportunity to shine with this script/story and he gave the performance of a life time. He's come an incredibly long way since the first movie I could ever remember him in "FADE TO BLACK" and I hope he continues his journey.

It's very hard or "Tough" guys to come across as compassionate beings... And only 1 other "tough" guy actor has ever made me emotional or struck a nerve inside me and that was Sylvester Stallone... If I could meet anyone in Hollywood and actually sit down with them, He'd be the one. He's a brilliant writer & a brilliant, highly under estimated, actor.  I love the guy... Mickey Rourke came as close as anyone ever has in giving me the same feeling on screen.

Fantastic movie.

Quoted from Baltis. In the end... Everything in this movie worked. Sean Penn is a great, versatile actor to be sure but Mickey deserved the Oscar here. He was given the opportunity to shine with this script/story and he gave the performance of a life time.

Have to agree. I saw this a few days ago and it's still buzzing around in my head. There's very little new here, in the way of plot at least, but somehow they managed it make it seem all completely fresh. Rourke is fantastic in this movie. The rest of the cast are faultless but Rourke shines. I love a film that just makes you completely forget you're watching actors saying words by a writer. From the go I was hooked. Great film.

Quoted from Takeshi Aronofsky is the new Scorcsese.

Did that say what I think it said?

Now, on the Oscar side of things, I think Penn deserved it more, No doubt Rourke did great but Penn was unbelievably amazing.  

Quoted from Aaron   Did that say what I think it said?

I can go along with that idea, Aronofsky's a hell of a director.

Quoted from Aaron I think Penn deserved it more, No doubt Rourke did great but Penn was unbelievably amazing.

He was good and it was a fine film. But think of it in ten years from now. The Wrestler will be talked of as the performance of Rourke's career. He's done some rubbish in his time but he's also done some truly great stuff. Either way they're both great movies. Oscars are a bit hit and miss for me.

Quoted from rendevous I can go along with that idea, Aronofsky's a hell of a director. But think of it in ten years from now. The Wrestler will be talked of as the performance of Rourke's career.

Scorsese  will ALWAYS reign as Scorsese.  Aronofsky's  a fine director, but still.

   Yes they will talk about it in ten years, I can see that. But maybe they'll talk about Milk too.

I agree with the thing you said about the Oscars. I might get totally blasted for this, but: Slumdog was a really good film, but overrated and I think some other stuff deserved best pic

I agree about Slumdog, and I like a lot of Boyle's films. Problem for me was It took about five minutes to realise the plot and then there a few surprises, but not many.

Maybe they'll talk about Milk in ten years, somehow I doubt it.

Anyways back on topic. The Wrestler's one of those few films where you actually want it to go on longer than it did. It's been a while since I saw one of those.

That's very true. Does anyone have it on DVD?

Quoted from Aaron Does anyone have it on DVD?

I do. Might watch it again later.  As the man said -

Quoted from CR This movie was the fucking bomb.

I do like italics. They are extremely useful.

Quoted from Baltis. Music, Movies, even video games were all at their peak in the 80's... So it's no surprise I was drawn to this movie.

Agree. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7qG4nPcYsQ

It epitomises what life was about for me as a teenager in the 80s.

Great review, Balt.