The Wrestler

From September 7, 2008:

"The Wrestler" from director Darren Aranofsky and starring Mickey Rourke saw its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival tonight. Director Aranovsky was in attendance and spoke to the crowd, bringing the producer Scott Franklin on stage as well as Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Rourke's daughter in the film. The film was simply fantastic. It was amazing that twenty years WWE was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "No Holds Barred" and ten years ago WCW was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "Ready To Rumble" but it took until 2008 for a great wrestling film to be made. And it happened through the work of an intellectual director and fantastic method acting by people not previously connected to the business. If the people behind this film weren't previously fans they sure did their homework. As a wrestling fan, I realized how much some scenes such as his deathmatch with Necro Butcher must have seemed, a seeming work of fiction based all too much on reality. A concern I had going into the film was whether the wrestling world presented would try to pretend the wrestling was "real" or if they would try to portray as the "work" that it is. Unlike No Holds Barred and Ready To Rumble which tried to present wrestling as "real", this film took you into the locker room to see wrestlers discussing the layout of their matches with terms like "the heat", "the comeback" and "take it home". And it is this presentation which makes wrestling seem more real than any work of fiction previously has. You are drawn into the psychology of pro wresting and even moreso, the pain experienced is depicted as more real than anything in the epic wars of Hogan vs. Zeus or David Arquette vs. Diamond Dallas Page. Central to the film is the character study. Much like the simple title of "The Wrestler" camouflages the catharsis of the film, the seemingly simple presentation of Randy "The Ram" Robinson as a 1980's leftover continually trying to relive the past belies the insight provided into the human condition. Rourke brings this character alive with elements of Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake Roberts as they all appeared in "Beyond The Mat". Add in a more contemporary version of a wrestler such as Eddie Guerrero pushing his heart to the brink through the use of steroids, or even Rick Rude in his attempted comeback. But although elements of these men are seen in the portrait of Randy, he is no more them than Robert Deniro was any of the taxi drivers he drove with in preparing for his role as Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver". "The Wrestler" provides a wholly original portrait of a man dealing with his physical and professional mortality and using the high of performing as the motivation for the drugs he uses to get him there. The relationship of Randy with Marisa Tomei's character of "Cassidy" is fascinating in its use of juxtaposition. She is a stripper using her body to perform and pretend to be give her customers the acceptance they seek from her without accepting them outside the world of the strip club. Randy is a wrestler using his body to perform in order to receive the acceptance he seeks from the fans who do not accept him outside the world of wrestling, where is alone and has to work at a grocery store deli counter. Cassidy puts on her mask to provide for her son whil Randy puts on his mask which drives him away from his daughter. Cassidy wants to quit to have a life with her son but cannot get away. The last thing Randy wants is to quit, but being forced to for health reasons brings him temporarily closer to his daughter. Rourke presents one of the most likeable characters I have ever seen on screen. Cassidy's referencing "The Passion Of The Christ" paints him as a Christ figure. He is a man in search of his soul in this film and sacrifices himself for his fans. He uses a Chris Benoit-like diving headbutt, bringing him more adoration while it brings him closer to death, and you feel awkward cheering him all the way. But he makes a choice, realizing the the wrestling arena is the only place he feels home and somehow it is painted as understandable. The film does not poke fun at wrestling. It presents it as something that seems simple but is layered and complex in its catharsis, much like Randy and Cassidy and the film itself.