nan | 楠木

The Wrestler is Darren Aronofsky’s  fourth full-length feature film, and it is a fascinating but perhaps routine character study. Mickey Rourke, whose own film career seems to be mirror the wrestling career of the protagonist he portrays, is right at home – this is (again) one of those situations where you believe that the role is made for the actor / actress. Be warned, this is a film with real emotions, however subtle and reserved they may be, and there are certainly a few scenes where you will be on the verge of tears.

I say that the character study offered here is routine, since there are certainly numerous great films telling the story of the underdog or the beaten-down small guy. The film opens with news clippings of Randy “the Ram” in the 80s – that glorious time of professional wrestling – where Randy was once the biggest star of all. Fast forward 20 years, and Randy is not living off the vast wealth (which he should have accumulated), but instead is reduced to wrestling in the independent circuits and barely making enough money to live in a trailer park.

What went wrong in those 20 years is obviously interesting material, however the film leaves this question largely unanswered, though it is pretty obvious that Randy wasted the best years of his life, messing up his career and his family. What the film focuses on is how he tries to cope with his run-down life. We see him making futile attempts to salvage his relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Woods), as well as trying to find a soul-mate and partner in the unlikely choice of Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a single-mom strip-teaser. Furthermore, we see his larger struggle to rediscover his personal identity – what is his place in this world, and how does he want to be seen and remembered?

Comparing The Wrestler with the other Aronofsky film I’ve seen, Requiem for a Dream, and it is immediately evident how skillful the director is at building haunting impressions. Some of the wrestling scenes are frighteningly gory, but even the quiet dialogs between father and daughter are just as emotionally powerful. While The Wrestler is certainly a good portrayal of the wrestling scene, its ultimate purpose is to tell the heartbreaking story of an ordinary individual and his struggles against the torrents of life. This film is not ambitious enough in material to win the favor of the Oscar in terms of Best Picture, but Mickey Rourke will be a serious contender for Best Actor, and he wholly deserves the title.

8/10