I’m sure all of us, at one time or another in our youths, were fans of Professional Wrestling. Not the boring slightly homoerotic stuff we see at The Summer Olympics, I’m talking about the good ole WWF (not WWE as it is known now). Ya know who I’m talking about: Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter, the Bushwhackers, the list goes on and on. In recent years Documentary films like BEYOND THE MAT have pulled back the curtain on the world of Pro Wrestling, revealing an ugly and seedy underbelly that has changed the way many longtime fans view their former heroes and icons. Where once we saw modern day Gladiators, now we see sad washed-up has-beens. Some of them still clinging desperately to their past glory, while others self-destruct in a haze of drugs and alcohol. Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky takes on this familiar world of pain and addiction (two subjects he’s obviously well-versed in), but not in the high production/big money-making setting of Pro Wrestling. He examines the life of an aging ex-Pro Wrestler performing in the down-n-dirty world of Independent/Sem-Pro Wrestling (something I recently experienced at an event held in the worn down Colonial Theatre). So does a high-brow filmmaker like Aronofsky cohesively mesh with such low-rent entertainment? Very well actually…

Bobert Says • ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆

Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life — trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a blossoming romance with an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) who is ready to start a new life. Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy “The Ram” back into his world of wrestling.

Underlying all of Darren Aronofsky’s films has been the nature of addiction and obsession. He’s envisioned these ideas in highly varied ways. In his introductory Indie effort, PI, the protagonist’s mania with the mathematical secrets of nature ultimately undid him psychologically. The destructive power of addiction is explored with haunting accuracy in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. And one man’s unyielding and century-spanning search for eternal life in THE FOUNTAIN provides us with his most visual and beautiful interpretation of these themes. Forcing Aronofsky out of his comfort zone (if such a thing exists for a guy with such a diverse portfolio), THE WRESTLER tackles these motifs in a completely different style and environment. Randy The Ram is addicted to the mat, to being in that ring and performing for an adoring crowd. It’s the only place that brings him joy and makes him feel alive, even if it may end up killing him. He essentially abandons his job, his daughter, the only woman he’s close to, basically his life, for the masochistic “glamour” of what amounts to “backyard” wrestling. He tried living a normal life with a blue collar job and failed, leaving him the ring as his only recourse. As we watch Randy rising above his past errors, we also can see the moment Randy’s self-destructive behavior begins to surface and take hold again. And despite knowing the consequences, we find ourselves rooting him on. What does that say about us? An existential question for another time perhaps. THE WRESTLER once again taps into those themes of addiction and obsession that Aronofsky excels in conveying, but in a far more pure and raw fashion than any of his previous films. If anything, its a back-to-basics filmmaking closest in style to PI. More down to earth and personable, the film feels almost like a documentary. Very simple and sparse with no fancy camera tricks or glossy cinematography, we’re left only with this broken down man. And we like this simple guy and his no-nonsense approach to life. We quickly identify with him, and for those of us that grew up with the WWF, we share in his desire to remain in the ring and his dreams of retaining that previous glory.

Mickey Rourke really does deserve all the praise and adulation being showered upon him right now. Randy the Ram is a guy’s guy, rarely allowing his emotions to bubble up to the surface and never letting any of life’s devastating hurdles get him down. And he never misses an opportunity to party. And when he parties, he parties hard. I’ve read about common complaints from viewers that modern cinematic heroes seem to have lost their balls and their libido, constantly putting up a puritanical-like wall between them and advances from the opposite sex. Well no worries about that here, Randy the Ram likes the ladies. And while some of these “qualities” may sound superficial and almost misogynistic, they make a powerful statement regarding this character and the reasons why audiences have been so enthralled with Rourke’s performance. And Marisa Tomei definitely deserves mention, as she avoids playing her character as a variation on the “Hooker with a Heart of Gold” cliche. The character isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and readily reveals a flawed and emotionally stunted nature, but that honesty in characterization gradually enraptures us. Plus she’s hot as hell as a stripper that actually takes her clothes off, a concept recent Hollywood offerings have been laughably missing. Evan Rachel Wood has kind of a thankless role as Randy’s estranged daughter, personifying all those he’s hurt and abandoned while on his journey for glory in the ring. Playing against the Tour De Force (I know some of you hate that phrase, but that’s just what it is) that is Mickey Rourke can be a tall order even for the most experienced of actors, but if there’s any young performers out there that can match him then Wood would be on the short list.

THE WRESTLER is a meditative and absorbing portrayal of dreams lost but not forgotten, and one man’s dogged refusal to let go. With the help of strong supporting players, a career-changing starring performance, and a down-n-dirty style of filmmaking, Darren Aronofsky has shown us that he still has the Indie sensibilities that put him on the map a decade ago. Now let’s see if he can give us a kickass ROBOCOP movie! Until next time, see ya at the movies!