Rating: R
Movie Release Date: December 17, 2008
Movie Release Date: December 17, 2008
DVD Release Date: April 21, 2009
Plot 411: An over-the-hill wrestler forced into retirement faces it head on with a headbutt and dropkick, but he is the one that is beaten into submission when he realizes life outside the ring isn't what it's cracked up to be.
Review: Whoa, Mickey Rourke gives us a stellar performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a wrestler whose prime has passed him by. Stuck at a job working for a boss that doesn't give him any respect and living a solitary life disconnected from his only daughter, Robinson retreats to the world of wrestling. Here he is a hero to the fans and other, much younger, wrestlers. Here he gains his sense of self-worth and struggles desperately to keep ahold of it. The movie left me with a heavy heart as Robinson's life seemed to fall all around him. Despite trying to leave the ring behind him, have fresh start with his estranged daughter and begin a romantic relationship with a stripper friend (played wonderfully by Marissa Tomei), he seems to get the timing all wrong. His slip ups or theirs makes it difficult to get off on the right foot. It's as if all the fates are against him. Everyone can relate to a time in their life when they've felt the exact same thing. The movie is gritty and raw. It's the real life that we all know exists but which never seems to be captured by Hollywood. This time they've done it up right.
Watch It: For a good portrayal of people just trying to survive in this world, find the meaning of their existence and make their dreams happen.
Skip It: If naked boobies offends you. There's a lot of that going on.
Trailer:
5 comments:
sky..
If and when they show The Wrestler on the digi-player on Haw'n Air, will certainly watch The Wrestler. Am sure that it's a well-made film. Love Marisa. What the heck did MR do to himself to move from Diner to The Wrestler? I'm bothered by what a movie career can do to an Average Joe, and horrified by what it can do to a mis-guided guy like MR. Work too hard, too much money, too much time off, no sober friends, few alternatives.. it's a wonder that anyone survives.. My sense is that MR is destined to play caricature roles from here on out which saddens me.. it works here, but now that he's all dressed up (again), where does ho go next.. i couldn't write a part for him, could you? The Wrestler works as a reflection of real hard life.. btw, love the Watch It, Skip It sections.. gives your posts a nice bi-lateral view.. if i were doing similar, i'd have a Good News/Bad News section, but yours is "just right".. how about checking out the recs list at the end of Friday's WWE blog? If you promise to review some of my recs, i'll be back..
ZO7VHVW, jim
Yeah, I'm not sure where Rourke's career will go after this either. I agree that it'll be tough to get parts for him because of this looks. I think he'll likely take on bad guy roles because he's just too scary to be a leading man anymore.
I've added your movie suggestions and others on WWE to my list of movies that I want to watch. I'll try to watch some in the next month or so.
Been trying to post but the process is killing me. @ skycastles, have you seen "Diner" yet? Its sort of a coming-of-age, ensemble-cast, social commentary comedy that features, imo, Mickey Rourke in his greatest role up until "The Wrestler." He had a huge presence as Boogie. Everyone was attracted to his lovable, pretty-boy character, sorta cross James Dean and Travolta in Grease. I can understand UncleJ's disappointment with Mickey Rourke. His career in real life was similar to "The Ram" where he was a huge success early in his career but personal problems, abuse, and alienation led to obscurity. But hopefully, "The Wrestler" will bring more meaningful roles for him...da man can act. He will be in "Iron Man 2", stay tuned. Just me, hemajang
hema's right.. Diner is a great ensemble cast of rising young guys very early on in their careers.. if we ever get together to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, we'll have to modify it to be SDOKB minus A Few Good Men minus Diner.. otherwise every connection routes through one of those two films..
hema, i finally just went with my Google email account to post ovah heah..
sky.. maybe if you just throw in one "oldie for the oldies" per week, we'll be able to offer some input..
but my personal view is that you need to consider skipping this "Movie Reviewer" phase of your life and move ahead to writing screenplays yourself.. you've already perfected "movie critic".. really..
roha, uj
hema ~
Watched the trailer for "Diner" on YouTube and am already in love with the film because of the music and the cars. Will definitely try to watch it sometime this week.
Rourke was like THE MOST (as they used to say). Man, I cannot believe he looks the way he does now. I mean, I realize he got all bus' up from boxing and then with the plastic surgery, but man, that's a shame.
UJ~
I like that - "oldie for the oldies" LOL I just might try and do that. I actually have a list of old movies from my aunt that I'm still getting through that might fit the bill.
It's hard for me to pick a movie because I get all excited about all of them. When someone talks up one movie, I'm like, "yeah that sounds good!" Then someone else suggests a different one, and I get distracted and want to watch it too. Let's just say I can't add any more dvds to my Netflix queue. I'm officially maxed out.
Got your email about the screenwriting thing. Never took a class despite the fact that I double majored in English and journalism. It'd probably be a lot of fun.
I'm actually trying to get a kids book published with a local publisher. Submitted the manuscript two years ago, signed the contract last year and heard they gave it over to an illustrator. Haven't heard when it's coming out though. I'm hoping it's this Christmas and have been meaning to call and find out.
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