Release Date:
12/17/2008
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
The Skinny: Professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a Hulk Hogan–level god in the '80s—too bad it's now the 2000's, and the weathered brawler is still trying to eke out a living jumping off turnbuckles in gyms and V.F.W. halls. His crumbling body is matched only by his crumbling life.
The Good: If you've heared the buzz around this film, know that it is 100 percent justified. If you haven't, count yourself lucky, because you are in for a surprise. The Wrestler is funny and heartbreaking in equal measure—one of the truly rare "weepy guy flicks" (in a good way). Rourke is so perfect it's like he's deliberately battered his body into roast beef specifically to play this part, and Marisa Tomei avoids stepping into "kindly stripper" cliches, making her character well-rounded (and frequently naked). Director Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) shoots this all no-frills, like a documentary, and it's spot-on.
The Bad: There aren't a great deal of surprises, because the story kind of lumbers forward with a heavy inevitablity hanging over it. Still, it's completely effective and Aronofsky's decision to end the movie where he does (no spoilers, don't worry) is, at first, frustrating, but the more you ponder it the more you realize it's right where the movie needed to fade to black.
Soundtrack? Want: The opening credits consist of a montage of WWF-like posters, magazines, and stills set to Quiet Riot's "Metal Health". In terms of openings, this is the fucking balls.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is a complete must-see.
The Skinny: Professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a Hulk Hogan–level god in the '80s—too bad it's now the 2000's, and the weathered brawler is still trying to eke out a living jumping off turnbuckles in gyms and V.F.W. halls. His crumbling body is matched only by his crumbling life.
The Good: If you've heared the buzz around this film, know that it is 100 percent justified. If you haven't, count yourself lucky, because you are in for a surprise. The Wrestler is funny and heartbreaking in equal measure—one of the truly rare "weepy guy flicks" (in a good way). Rourke is so perfect it's like he's deliberately battered his body into roast beef specifically to play this part, and Marisa Tomei avoids stepping into "kindly stripper" cliches, making her character well-rounded (and frequently naked). Director Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) shoots this all no-frills, like a documentary, and it's spot-on.
The Bad: There aren't a great deal of surprises, because the story kind of lumbers forward with a heavy inevitablity hanging over it. Still, it's completely effective and Aronofsky's decision to end the movie where he does (no spoilers, don't worry) is, at first, frustrating, but the more you ponder it the more you realize it's right where the movie needed to fade to black.
Soundtrack? Want: The opening credits consist of a montage of WWF-like posters, magazines, and stills set to Quiet Riot's "Metal Health". In terms of openings, this is the fucking balls.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is a complete must-see.