The Wrestler flies high

By Faheem Ahmed     2/5/09 6:00pm

Remember the good old days of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage? Throughout the early '90s, the World Wrestling Federation reigned supreme on late night television, with soap opera plot lines and absolutely absurd characters like Rakishi, who smothered his victims to death with his stinky buttocks. I am not ashamed to admit I was one of the multitudes of middle school boys who watched wrestling. When we weren't salivating over Trish Stratus, we were cheering for The Rock to deliver "the People's Elbow" or for Triple H to employ "the Pedigree." But then high school knocked, and we realized that the other primary audience of wrestling was fat rednecks over the age of 30.Whether or not you think wrestling is lame, the background of these wrestlers is one that has rarely been explored in cinema. The Wrestler is a quiet depiction of the trials and hardships experienced by one man who sacrifices his body just to make people cheer.

Fans of Rocky will definitely love this film. The Wrestler is a classic tale of the washed-up underdog who rises and rises again despite being thrown down by life. Mickey Rourke (Sin City) plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a popular wrestler during the '80s, who continues to perform at local events despite suffering a long slew of injuries. He lives in a trailer; he takes harmful steroids to stay in shape; he can barely afford rent; his teenage daughter won't speak to him and the closest thing he has to a girlfriend is a stripper who doesn't date customers. Sounds cheerful. Despite his bad luck and bad health, though, Randy trucks on and decides to mend his relationship with his daughter and to continue wrestling.

Rourke puts in an Oscar-worthy performance as the lead. The dude is 56 years old and still ripped. Back in the '80s, Rourke was considered a pretty-boy, but a brief boxing stint left his face bloodied and disfigured. Rourke definitely draws on personal experience for this role, and his performance is very realistic. His character is never over-the-top: He is soft and sensitive, revealing the emotional scars of a deeply troubled man.

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The supporting cast is also superb: Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) is excellent as the sultry yet caring stripper, and Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe) adeptly plays Randy's abandoned daughter. Wood's character is barely in the movie, but she dominates her scenes with a nuanced portrayal of a girl who just needs a father.

One downfall is that despite hitting all the right notes and eliciting the right emotions, The Wrestler lacks an epic feel. It is just another story of the underdog who refuses to stay down, thus inspiring middle-aged men all over the country to go out and fulfill their old dreams. While the premise of a broken-down professional wrestler is an original thought, The Wrestler perhaps reminded me a bit too much of Rocky at times, which is far and away the epitome of this genre.

Additionally, Randy's relationship with his daughter is never made quite clear. Perhaps director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) left that up to the audience's interpretation, but it would've been nice to add more closure.

With that said, however, The Wrestler is a solid, heartfelt film, and Rourke should walk home with the Best Actor trophy at this month's Oscars.

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