(2012-04-29 23:17:36)

The Wrestler by Brandon M. Moskos

Outstanding movie starring Mickey Rourke as "The Ram" A beat-up, has-been wrestler, that all he knows is wrestling. Mickey Rourke was so good in this movie that I forgot that this was actually a comeback movie for him. Wrestling still for the paychecks, he soon faces trouble when a heart attack forces him to retire. He tries to live a life outside of wrestling by trying to romance a stripper (a very good Marissa Tomei) and trying to revive a relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The Ram soon realizes the only thing that ever felt normal and gives him happiness in life is wrestling. I'm not going to give this movie away, but this is a must-see first class movie.

wlb

(2012-04-29 08:20:55)

Neither loved it nor hated it

Obviously I am missing something that the critics find so appealing.The film centers around an aging wrestler who has over the yearsalienated his daughter from never being there for her.The film shows his rather gritty life combined with the punishment hisbody takes.Rather than give you a 100% spoiler and detail why I think hischaracter is a schmuck I will simply say that he blew it with hisdaughter and Marisa's character...It wasn't a terrible movie - it was entertaining - but I definitelywent away with a different message the screenwriter wanted me tohave...See it and judge for yourself...

mads leonard holvik

(2012-04-28 06:47:24)

It's a hard life - find happiness where you can

I liked this movie. There are many reasons. One is that we get so closeto Randy. It becomes so realistic that we start to identify with him.Iwas surprised by that. What we see is that he is gentle. The same withthe other wrestlers. They seem like good and friendly guys. At least Iwas surprised. At the same time, we see learn that he is lonely. Hestruggles. In one scene Randy and a few other worn out, old time-heroessit and sign autographs and sell DVD's. It's a sad sight. This alsosurprised me. So there is this two-fold surprise in the movie.Another reason I liked the movie, is that he tries hard to find somehappiness. There is a touching love story, and as we have alreadystarted to have sympathy with Randy, we start to feel the same forCassidy. She is a local stripper, played by Marissa Tomei. She is sobeautiful, and life is hard for her too, so we really hope that it willwork out for them. I think Rourke and Tomei have good chemistry. Randyalso tries to make it right with his daughter, who he has neglected. Ithink Evan Rachel Wood also a good choice for the role. The only thingthat I can point my finger on, is the very predictable way Randy blewhis last chance. I felt the daughter was too strict, almost as if shejust had to follow the script.A third reason I liked the movie is Mickey Rourke. I felt like I couldidentify more with Randy knowing the struggles Rourke has had in hisprivate life. Not being judgemental. The Ram has his reasons, and I amsure Rourke had his. We all have.A final reason is the ending. It is a relief that movies don't have tofollow a certain formula. You could argue that this film has it's ownformula that it has to follow, but at least it is a rare one.I recommend The Wrestler. It is 1,5 hours well spent.

(2012-04-27 17:02:04)

Just Average

This movie was just average for me. While the acting was good, it was not nomination worthy. And the story was nothing I'll remember in a year. There is a lot of hype surrounding this film, but it is not as good as the hype. And you have been warned, the movie has no ending.

Ms. Vette

(2012-04-25 02:53:50)

Unexpectedly blown away by this film

*SPOILER ALERT* My husband and I finally got around to seeing "The Wrestler" last weekend. My hubby had wanted to see it as soon as it was released, but things kept coming up (plus, I was only mildly interested in seeing it, myself; I figured, okay, so Mickey Rourke has been nominated for an Oscar, but it's probably one of those obligatory noms b/c he's acting in an independent film).....Anyway, I have seen very few movies in my life that have truly affected me, and this is definitely one of them! (The last ones were "Million Dollar Baby" and "Life is Beautiful.") Rourke turns in a phenomenal performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an aging wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career and his relationships with everyone around him, most notably his estranged daughter and a dancer/friend at a strip club. (Marisa Tomei is superb as the dancer, BTW, and fully deserves both her Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for her performance.) We see Randy struggle throughout the entire film; it seems as though nothing he does is right, and the harder he tries, the more miserably he fails.....What really hit me about this film, though, was the very end, when Randy bravely (or in some people's eyes, stupidly) decides to engage in a rematch against his old nemesis (The Ayatollah) - a match which he knows will be his final stint in the ring, and, which we discover in the final moments of the film, will also be the last thing he does with his life. (I guess I really should use the words "fully realize" instead of "discover"; all throughout the film, there is a strong, undeniable feeling that something bad is going to happen at the end - whether it's to Randy, or to one of the others - although it doesn't really "hit home" until the screen goes black and the end credits start rolling.).....The movie is such a downer - the further into the movie one gets, the more one realizes that there isn't a shred of hope to be found anywhere in the story (as in "Leaving Las Vegas" - another extemely depressing film) - but, as strange as it may sound, that's what I love about it. Don't get me wrong; I don't like being depressed (which I was for the rest of the day), but I absolutely love it when a movie can affect me so deeply - especially in this day and age, when most movies are just the "same old, same old" - and that's exactly what "The Wrestler" did.....Randy's speech before the start of his final match is probably the highlight of the film. He tells the audience that they are his family, and that only they will determine when he stops wrestling. What's so poignant about the speech is that we, the audience in the theater, know that it's really a veiled good-bye speech to his loyal followers. As soon as the match, itself, begins, there is absolutely no doubt left, whatsoever, that Randy is going to die. The deeper into the match he gets, the clearer it becomes that he wants to go out as a wrestler - he wants to be REMEMBERED as the great Randy "The Ram" Robinson that he once was, and not the beat-up, down-on-his-luck "loser" he's become (very much like Hilary Swank's character in "Million Dollar Baby," although the circumstances of her demise were very different) - and even when The Ayatollah tells him that they can stop the match at any time (because he is clearly suffering physically), he refuses to give up. In the final moment, when Randy gets up on the ropes and prepares to do his signature move, one knows that that's it - it's the end of the line for him. As he jumps off the ropes into the ring and the screen goes black, the audience is left sitting in the dark for a few seconds (before the credits start rolling), while a somber Bruce Springstreen song begins playing in the background. It's as though the creators of the film wanted us to have a moment of mourning for Randy - a lost soul who finally finds his place at the very end of his lifeГўВЂВ¦...

galileo3

(2012-04-24 05:37:42)

raw, powerful, intense, bloody... The Wrestler is an authentic human drama with a formidable comeback performance from Rourke.

The Wrestler (2008)Top 5 - 2008I am a strong advocate against Wrestling and even boxing - I think theyare morally reprehensible and often disgusting activities. Despite thisI have been consistently moved and impressed with the intensity andpathos of such sports movies. The Wrestler is no different.The story of Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, an 80s Pro-wrestler, who stillwrestles 20 years after his prime, in order to survive while doing theone thing he is good at. An added quality to this film, which may havebeen intentional by director Darren Aronofosky is the casting of MickeyRourke. Aronofsky initially cast Nicolas Cage for the role, butreplaced him for Rourke at a late stage - that decision is notregrettable. Mickey Rourke's fortunes from a rising, rough Hollywoodstar in the 80s (most notable for his film 9 1/2 weeks) to a downfalland a retreat into nothingness. Rourke is an actor, 'The Ram' is anageing wrestler way past his glory days. The actor/character parallelsserve to strengthen the film enormously - or at least that is how Ifelt.Aronofsky's picture is an intensely human drama, about the harshrealities of life and a simultaneous examination of wrestling, a'sport' I very much dislike - The film has a sequence of Wrestling (theversion with various nasty weapons) where the wrestlers staple eachother, pierce their skins on barbed wire and shards of glass and one ofthem even presses a fork against the other's forehead. How do thesewrestlers feel? Does their job ever get a bit too much? How does Randythe Ram feel in his mid 50s when he continues to wrestle in order tosurvive? There is a great scene where old wrestling stars set up theirproducts in order to make some profit from admirers. We see 'The Ram'with his hearing aid (probably a result of being thrown around foryears), we see an old wrestler on a wheel chair and so on. I felt thatscene brought out the unglamorous side of such entertainment sports andthe long term consequences. I guess though if you play hard, you haveto pay the price. Anyway, placing emphasis only on the wrestling is anincorrect interpretation of the film.This is a film about the bitter realities of life for many people - TheRam's overextended wrestling life, his part time work as a supermarketworker carrying packages and then working at the deli counter - astripper which Rourke likes but cannot quite connect with her as shedoes not go out with customers (altough she does warm up to him at theend). The Wrestler is also a person with feelings, not just anentertainer - the film shows how Randy struggles to reignite arelationship with his grown up daughter who he virtually neglected whenshe was growing up as he was constantly away on the circuit. Thestripper also has a family and wishes to quit her awful profession. Thefilm is also a remarkable reminder to the fact that many of us leadunhappy lives decided through the need for survival. There are manygood things about this film, which I cannot encompass in this review.Problems arise when Randy has a heart attack, from all the straining,brutal activity and the steroids he takes to boost his figure. He quitswrestling as instructed by the doctor that he will die if he undertakesextensive activity. Meanwhile he tries to connect with his daughter andget a friend out of the stripper Candice. Through various reasons andfaults of his own, Randy fails to build up an emotional bubble torestore his loneliness and isolation. So he goes back to what he doesbest... Wrestling - a last exhibition match with his old nemesis named'The Ayatollah' - he knows he may die as a result, but why should helive for nothing? Better go out in style, with his own family as heproclaims to the cheering audience who watches him with admiration.During the fight, The Ram experienced shortness of breath and is askedif okay. Hesitant, he continues, despite the risks. The last sceneshows 'The Ram' ready to make his favourite move the top rope divingheadbutt against Ayatollah. He gets on the rope raises his arms and thefilm cuts off...An excellent 'small film', with a guaranteed Oscar nomination forRourke and possible win.9/10

theoriginalsandman

(2012-04-20 01:22:18)

Another Aronofsky Masterpiece!

Being an admirer of Darren Aronofsky's (Requiem for a Dream, Pi) films,I decided to give this a watch before all the Oscar hype and whatnot. Iwasn't particularly familiar with Mickey Rourke so I did not expectmuch. Now, don't get this film wrong. Just because it's about awrestler does not mean the plot revolves around the sport or whatnot.This film is about life itself. Think along the lines of Gran Torino. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised and significantlyimpressed by Mickey Rourke's portrayal of immensely popular yetburnt-out professional wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson who is pasthis prime and coming to terms with it. After suffering acareer-stopping heart attack, he decides to retire and end hiswrestling days for good. Slowly, his life spirals downward exacerbatedby the strained relationship with his estranged daughter - portrayed byEvan Rachel Wood - and only comforted by a similarly burnt-outpast-prime stripper - played by Marisa Tomei - he regularly sharesintimate conversations and moments with.This film is very straight-forward and gives the viewer a perspectiveof Randy 'The Ram' Robinson's life. Although you may not think so, I amvehemently sure more than a few of us have been through (or currentlygoing through) this stage of life he's experiencing where it feels likethe whole world is against you.Extremely gritty, brutal, intriguing, jarring and unequivocallyfamiliar, The Wrestler takes us on a journey about life itself and howimportant bonds and relationships are and how a slight deterioration ineither can lead to a very depressing phase for anyone. The mostpeculiar and unique feature of this film is that when you watch it, youreally feel for Randy. It's not overly emotional or unnecessarilydepressing but more of a subtle and poignant rendition. To say thatthis film made my eyes watery is a shrewd understatement but to saythat it made me bawl is an exaggeration. This is one of the rare filmswhich is in between those emotional reactions. It's heartwarming insome parts while shockingly vulgar in others. Vivid and gnarly, thisfilm should appeal to any moviegoer and for those who methodicallyanalyze and dissect films, this one should be a definite keeper. Darren Aronofsky has succeeded in banding Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomeiand Evan Rachel Wood into a wonderful concoction of talent and stellarperformances. I am quite disappointed that the Oscars jumped on thehype of Slumdog Millionaire instead of considering this film which Ibelieve should have won Best Picture hands down. Nonetheless, I'm very sure you will enjoy this film and highlyrecommend it.Two thumbs up!

anjru

(2012-04-19 19:14:01)

Sweet Child of Mine by Andrew Malekoff

The Wrestler is a heart wrenching tale of a professional wrester -Randy "The Ram" Robinson - who thrives on the adulation of the massesand at the great expense of having any intimate relationships in hislife. "The Ram's" body gradually betrays him, one organ at a time,after years of battering, abuse and reliance on chemical enhancementsand pain killers. Bypass surgery is one consequence. But this physicalrepair that reminds him of his mortality cannot mend his broken andlonely heart. Mickey Rourke plays a tragic figure who does not exhibiteven one drop of self pity, despite his deep and openly expressedsadness. He makes one futile attempt after another to establish anintimate connection in his life. Ultimately though, he goes back to thenonsustaining well of wrestling fans who love only the persona and notthe person. Although in a few fleeting scenes with children we see thatthere is an intuitive connection that reaches beyond empty actionfigure idealization. Kids really love him and he loves them back.Rourke and Marissa Tomei as an aging stripper are captivating. And,they are touching in all of their scenes together, as are Rourke andEvan Rachel Wood who plays his abandoned daughter. The supporting castof fellow wrestlers and children that adore "The Ram" all help to bringforth the humanity and sweetness inside of the gladiator. A few of thescenes with Randy working in a deli, wearing a hairnet and interactingwith customers from behind the counter, are classic. Guns and Roses'Sweet Child of Mine is the perfect song for "The Ram's" entrance intothe squared circle for his grand finale against his nemesis, theAyatollah. I highly recommend this film. It stays with you and getsunder your skin long after the credits role to Bruce Springsteincrooning.

(2012-04-15 22:47:35)

Excellent flick; Rourke delivers a performance of a lifetime

THE WRESTLER**** Out of 5Release Date- Decemeber 17th, 2008Running Time- 111-MinutesRating- RScreenplay- Robert SiegelDirector- Darren AronofskyStarring- Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Even Rachel WoodEven though this movie is about a wrestler I don't think you really need to be a fan of it. As a child I was a big wrestling fan and as popular as it was back then with sold out arenas it wasn't really cool to admit it. I lost interest for a long time before getting into it again as a teen and by this time nobody was ashamed to admit they liked it, but the time I reached my mid 20s I lost interest again, while being a fan of wrestling might help you enjoy this more even if you don't like it I don't think it will matter much at the movies core it's a lot deeper than just being about a wrestler.The Wrestler marked the big return for Mickey Rourke who once had a nice career going, but as time went on Rourke's career stalled and he was gone for a long time, but in recent years was making a slight come back with Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City both by Robert Rodriguez, but The Wrestler took him from an actor making a slight come back to the success story of 2008. Rourke may have been popular in the past, but this movie is the role he will always be remembered for and for very good reason.To be honest I found The Wrestler to be a slight letdown, but don't take that wrong this was still an excellent movie and highly worthy of the praise it has received. I think for me the biggest problem is we've sort of seen this kinda flick done so many times it's a bit hard to put your own original take on it. But even with that The Wrestler is one of the best flicks of 2008 and Rourke's performance is no doubt one of the very best of the year and I'd go as far as to say one of the best of the decade.The screenplay by Robert Siegel was excellent and very well written, but I do have some slight problems with it. The main characters are very solid and interesting, but I personally felt a little more could have been done with both. Rourke's character Randy `The Ram' Robinson was once a big time wrestling superstar who performed in front of thousands and now he's pretty much broke wrestling in front of 50 people if lucky a fate that has happened to many wrestlers. But I would have liked for the writer to get into more detail on how The Ram went from the top of the wrestling world to the bottom.Anyone who follows wrestling at all know the reasons stuff like this happens and that's fine, but this is a movie and you can't rely on what happens to real life wrestlers. All of this wouldn't take a big long explanation and could have been summed up in a couple of minutes. The strongest sections of the screenplay are the scenes with Randy and his daughter Stephanie played by Evan Rachel Wood. These scenes are excellent and hard hitting; it's quite obvious why there is a lack of relationship, but I also would have liked to have seen more backstory. I liked Marisa Tomei's character, but I also felt there was a lot more to explore with her character as well. The script by Robert Siegel is very well written and the characters are great, but these complaints I have for me keep this from being a truly great movie. I do think The Wrestler is a great flick, but just those small complaints slightly hold it back for me. What I loved about the script is Randy is a man who has made a lot of mistakes in his life and is trying to make things right, but he's human and he still messes up despite trying. This isn't your typical Hollywood flick where somebody made mistakes and reached rock bottom and makes everything right.Director Darren Aronofsky does an excellent job and what might be slightly lacking with the screenplay Darren Aronofsky more than makes up for with a great tale of a fallen star. Aronofsky creates a gritty look that makes The Wrestler seem almost like a documentary rather than a movie and the brilliant performances make this for much more real. The pacing is solid and Aronofsky brings to life some excellent characters.The acting as I stated is simply amazing; this was the big comeback film for Mickey Rourke and he isn't an actor playing a part he is the character. Even with past success that Rourke has had The Wrestler is without a doubt the role he will always be remembered for. Rourke delivers one of the all time great performances and gives a truly touching performance. I never doubted Rourke's skills as an actor, but this performance just blew me away and I think he really should have taken home the best actor Oscar. Marisa Tomei also delivers a rock solid performance that was very worthy of her Oscar nomination and Marisa is still amazingly beautiful. Evan Rachel Wood as Randy's daughter Stephanie nearly steals the show. Like I stated about my complaints with the script the actors were so amazing they bring a lot more depth than maybe the screenplay gave them.As excellent as Rourke and Tomei were together, Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood just might be better. Wood is a talented young actress and with The Wrestler hopefully more people take notice. My only complaint is she isn't in enough scenes. I think had her role been larger she could have received an Oscar nomination as well.Overall The Wrestler was one of the best films of 2008, but the complaints I had for me keeps this movie from reaching brilliant status, but with that said I still found this to be a great movie and the acting was amazing and Mickey Rourke delivers the performance of a lifetime. As good as The Wrestler was Mickey Rourke is what elevates the movie. The Wrestler comes highly recommended. It's a tragic story and even as flawed as Randy is and as deserving of his fate at times, Rourke brings so much emotion you'll be rooting for the character to get his life together.The Blu-ray release is alright; the picture quality is excellent, but still maintains the gritty look Darren Aronofsky was going for and the sound quality is also excellent. The features slightly lack however. There's a 42-min behind the scenes and a 20-min discussion with a few pro wrestlers and finally a music video by Bruce Springsteen. The release was alright not the worst, but not the best, but the picture and sound are solid.

(2012-04-15 08:14:26)

Great Story

This was a great movie and Mickey Rourke was perfect in his role. Bought this for someone going through a hard time so they could see that those times don't last forever...it worked! Appreciated getting it as fast as I did.

TheWylde

(2012-04-11 20:14:48)

Best film of 2008?

... It might be.As always, I will not indulge in masturbation via the typed word, norwill I give anything away.(It may be late but DO NOT read Bill "sportsguy" Simmons' column onespn's webpage regarding the movie. He writes things that take awayfrom the overall movie watching experience... and he's a douche.)This movie was well acted, as everyone has written a million times.Mickey Rourke's entire career arch happened so he could play a rolelike this in his advanced years. I'm typically not a fan of Aronofsky(nor do I care if that is spelled correctly). I find his movies to beham-handed and over stylized. I'm a "characters over style" kind ofguy... always will be. In this he keeps it modest and documentary-like.Being from Jersey I feel as though he really captures all the nooks andcrannies that give the state it's character as he does the with Rourkeand Tomei. This film showed a lot of restraint and never took a sappyturn that a Clint Eastwood directed film may have. Kudos on that,Aronofsky.Oddly this movie is a lot like Rocky Balboa in it's subject matter (ie:it's main character). It sounds absurd but I feel like this is thegrittier more realistic little brother of that movie. It hits onsimilar plot points and similar emotional notes. Am I the only personthat dares acknowledge this? Probably but whatever, it's a fantasticmovie.

msmary

(2012-04-11 08:07:44)

Gives Raw in Wrestling New Meaning

"The Wrestler" is the most emotionally raw movie I have ever seen.Director Darren Aronofsky's other film, "Requiem for a Dream," comesclose, but that film shows the drastic lengths that addicts will go toavoid feeling their emotions. In this film, the audience feels Randythe Ram's pain as he feels it. Mickey Rourke portrays The Ram sohonestly because he lived such a similar life. Aronofsky deserves a lotof credit for taming the wild-man Rourke and for drawing such an honestperformance from him.It's not a film for the faint of heart. There is self-mutilation,violence, steroid and drug use, public fornication, nudity, profanity,and lots of adult situations - all of which was necessary to convey themovie's truth.The Wrestler is a surprisingly simple film. If you've seen Aronofsky'sother work, the straight-forwardness of his approach in The Wrestler isunexpected. Yet, the film's genius is the depth of emotion that can beconveyed within its simplicity. I found it almost impossible not toreflect on my own aging, disappointments, mistakes, and relationshipswhen I watched this film...it's that profound.

(2012-04-04 01:01:56)

Star-cross'd lovers

You can't help but wonder at the autobiographical aspects of The Wrestler - for all his spandex and the lank blonde hair and the self-mutilation, at a very visceral level Mickey Rourke isn't entirely acting this. I have read some comments that this is a film full of cliches redeemed by Rourke's performance but (whilst not taking anything away from Rourke's outstanding performance) that's harsh. For here is a tragedy: Randy the Ram is, at an almost biological level, a performer: it is only as a performer that his life has any value even to him, let alone anyone else, and he is only ever in his element - the sparkle returns - when he is "performing". Thereby performance becomes a means of communication outside the ring, too: rough-housing with kids outside the van he's been sleeping in, delivering egg salad, Cocktail-style, to elderly ladies over the deli counter at the local supermarket or carousing with the wrestlers, who still lionise him, backstage. Aronofsky's camera reinforces this point - we track behind Randy's head not only as he strides out to the ring, but as he marches out to the deli counter and marches in to meet the gang backstage.That performs as a way of living is fascinatingly counterpointed by his only (half-way successful) real life relationship, with Cassidy, a stripper, in many ways a very similar sort of a performer (we frequently also track behind Cassidy's head) but dispositionally the negative image: for Cassidy is *condemned* to perform to live (i.e. to earn a crust), and for her, performance is the only part of her life that has no meaning, and is the part she is most desperate to leave behind. That Randy has the misfortune not to apprehend this drives the drama in The Wrestler. Cassidy and Randy are star-cross'd lovers: the two connect only when he's not performing and (QED, since he's a customer) she is. Like oil and water Cassidy feels forced to keep him segregated from her real self, within the context of her life as a performer; he wants her only outside of his. That is the tragic dilemma around which this film revolves, and while it may be constructed out of hackneyed archetypes it overcomes them handsomely.Olly Buxton

Greg Treadway

(2012-04-03 23:02:36)

Rourke Makes A Comeback

It was really so nice to see Mickey Rourke doing some quality actingagain. He plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an 80s superstar wrestler whohas seen better days. The movie finds Randy barely able to pay hisrent. His life is a series of odd jobs and small wrestling gigs. Hishighlight activity is going to the local strip club where he get lapdances from Cassidy, a struggling mom played by the invenerable MarisaTomei. Tomei attacks her role with the same hang-it-out-there bravadothat Rourke does and the two of them are explosive. An upcoming 20thanniversary of one of Randy's biggest matches gives him new hope to gethis life back on track and he decides to reach out to the daughter(Evan Rachel Wood) he abandoned years earlier.The indie buzz has been building about this movie since Rourke signedon. When the film made it to the Venice Film Festival in September itwas quickly purchased and then the buzz turned to awards talk. So farRourke has taken home the Golden Globe and has his weary eyes on Oscar.The movie is just fantastic due to the fine performances. Randy the Ramseems like the role that Rourke was destined to play and character andactor seem to fuse and for a time the audience doesn't know where onebegins and the other ends. Tomei is equally impressive and reminds uswhy she is already an Oscar winner. The movie has some brutal momentsand some shadowing humor and is overall a really great work fordirector Darren Aronofsky.Finally, the posters for the movie are all Rourke. If you're a MickeyRourke fan like me then you will be running to get one of theseheartfelt images.

(2012-03-26 07:37:55)

One of the best movies I've seen in ages

0) { document.getElementById(nsPrefix + "clipDiv").style.height=h+"px"; document.getElementById(nsPrefix + "videoPlaceholder").style.height=h+"px"; } else { document.getElementById(nsPrefix + "clipDiv").style.height=""; document.getElementById(nsPrefix + "videoPlaceholder").style.height=""; } document.getElementById(nsPrefix + "flashcontent").style.height="100%";}function fp_rewriteDiv(nsPrefix,divName,html){ document.getElementById(nsPrefix + divName).innerHTML=html;}function embeddingPopup(nsPrefix){ alert("placeholder function for embedding code");}--> // Flash Player (version 9.0.115 or higher)'); } } catch(err) { fp_resizePlayerSpace('cv_38541421', 0, 0); } return false;}function _cv_38541421loadSwf(movieID, playerVersion) { var swfLocation = "http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/am3/20111115154938207/AMPlayer._V163169252_.swf"; var swfWidth = "320"; var swfHeight = "100%"; var flashVersion = "9.0.115"; var bgColor = "#FFFFFF"; var swfParams = {}; var flashParams = {}; var embedAttributes = {}; swfParams.amazonPort = "80"; swfParams.allowFullScreen = "true"; swfParams.telemetrySubPageType = "VideoReview"; swfParams.nsPrefix = "cv_38541421"; swfParams.locale = "en_US"; swfParams.logUrl = "gp/mpd/l"; swfParams.canResize = "1"; swfParams.autoPlay = "1"; swfParams.sessionId = "184-0312302-5156019"; swfParams.marketplaceID = "ATVPDKIKX0DER"; swfParams.salign = "LT"; swfParams.preset = "detail"; swfParams.mediaObjectId = "m20CL07U367KO3"; swfParams.autoPlayTimer = ""; swfParams.mediaObjectIDList = "m20CL07U367KO3"; swfParams.playIsUserGenerated = "1"; swfParams.enableShare = "0"; swfParams.permUrl = "gp/mpd/permalink"; swfParams.telemetryPageTypeID = "R2HC9ZYPZ9B4WK"; swfParams.xmlUrl = "http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/getplaylist-v2/m20CL07U367KO3/184-0312302-5156019"; swfParams.amazonServer = "www.amazon.com"; swfParams.scale = "noscale"; flashParams.allowFullScreen = "true"; flashParams.salign = "LT"; flashParams.bgcolor = "#FFFFFF"; flashParams.allowScriptAccess = "always"; flashParams.quality = "high"; flashParams.wmode = "transparent"; embedAttributes.title = "Flash Player"; if (movieID){ if (playerVersion == '3'){ swfLocation = "http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/am3/20111115154938207/AMPlayer._V163169252_.swf"; swfParams.mediaObjectIDList = movieID; } else { swfLocation = "http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/am3/legacy/20101014901/AMPlayerProd._V197491872_.swf"; } swfParams.xmlUrl = "http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/getplaylist-v2/" + movieID + "/184-0312302-5156019"; flashParams.wmode = "transparent"; swfParams.autoPlay = "1"; } if (document.getElementById('cv_38541421duration')) { document.getElementById('cv_38541421duration').style.display='none'; } cv_38541421loadSwf_Core(swfLocation, swfWidth, swfHeight, flashVersion, bgColor, swfParams, flashParams, embedAttributes); return false;}function cv_38541421loadSwf(movieID, playerVersion) { return _cv_38541421loadSwf(movieID, playerVersion);}// ]]>var cv_38541421RollOverImg = new Image();cv_38541421RollOverImg.src = "http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/818Vmc%2B-s3S._SX320_PHcustomer-video-vignette_PIvideo-reviews-bottom,BottomLeft,0,43_OU01_PIcustomer-video-play-active,BottomLeft,130,-12_CR0,0,0,0_.png";var cv_38541421preplay = document.getElementById('cv_38541421preplayImageId');if (cv_38541421preplay) { cv_38541421preplay.onmouseover = function() { cv_38541421preplay.src = "http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/818Vmc%2B-s3S._SX320_PHcustomer-video-vignette_PIvideo-reviews-bottom,BottomLeft,0,43_OU01_PIcustomer-video-play-active,BottomLeft,130,-12_CR0,0,0,0_.png"; } cv_38541421preplay.onmouseout = function() { cv_38541421preplay.src = "http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/818Vmc%2B-s3S._SX320_PHcustomer-video-vignette_PIvideo-reviews-bottom,BottomLeft,0,43_OU01_PIcustomer-video-play,BottomLeft,130,-12_CR0,0,0,0_.png"; } var node = cv_38541421preplay.parentNode; var cv_38541421currentClick = node.onclick; node.onclick = function () { var head = document.getElementsByTagName("head"); if (head[0]) { var logTag = document.createElement('script'); logTag.type = "text/javascript"; logTag.src = "/gp/customer-media/du/log.html/ref=cm_ciu_vr_38541421/184-0312302-5156019?ie=UTF8&s=CustomerVideoPlay&p=CustomerImage"; head[0].appendChild(logTag); } if (cv_38541421currentClick) { return cv_38541421currentClick(); } }} Length:: 1:10 Mins

DonFishies

(2012-03-25 21:33:00)

A legendary performance in a dirty, gritty film

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is an aging wrestler who hasseen better days. He was a huge star in the 1980s, but is merelyreliving his glory days through the independent circuit now. He stillhas his fans, but things are obviously not the same as they were. He isrelegated to living in a shoddy trailer home he can barely afford, andhis only real emotional connection is through a stripper, Cassidy(Marisa Tomei) he has to pay in order to talk to.To say that this is Rourke's comeback film is an understatement. Thisfilm is a resurrection. He was barely recognizable under all the makeupand special effects wizardry in his excellent performance in FrankMiller's Sin City, and he is almost as unrecognizable here without themakeup. He transforms himself into The Ram, and makes a fool out ofanyone that said he could never pull off a great performance again.This performance is the stuff of legend, and is almost miraculous inhow it was pulled off.Rourke plays the character with just enough desperation and heartbreakit needs. Sure, it helps that the character is so close in ties to whatRourke had become, but giving it that personal touch gives the film acertain aura of authenticity that it needs to truly be believable. Ifthe filmmakers had picked someone else, it is doubtful they could havegiven this role the heart and intensity that Rourke does. He knows thischaracter, and he puts an immense amount of effort into bringing him tolife. Watching him prepping for a match, coming out of a match as abloody mess, sitting at a "convention" with his aged memorabilia, orjust seeing him attempt to be a part of regular society is justheartbreaking. He looks and feels alienated, and seeing this look onthe hulking face of Rourke gives the film and the character a whole newmeaning. This is someone who had it all, threw it away and now has todeal with the consequences. But fortunately enough, the outlook is awhole lot more positive for Rourke than it is for The Ram.But not all the praise for this miraculous transformation should go toRourke.Darren Aronofsky does just as much, if not more to make this film asheartbreakingly real as he does. The amount of personal devotion tothis film is amazing. Along with Cinematographer by Maryse Alberti andEditor Andrew Weisblum, Aronofsky has created a down and dirtyindependent picture about a down and dirty business. It is gritty andunflinching when it comes to portraying the risks wrestlers go throughto provide blood-thirsty fans a piece of entertainment for the night.And these are not even the types found in the more commonly seenWWE-style matches on television. These are the amateur circuits, whereanything goes and the money made is not always worth it. The low angledshots and filthy atmospheres are presented with such a look that youmay wonder if you are not actually watching a documentary. It is thatreal, and that authentic looking.Sometimes, the film gets so real that it may be hard to take. I know Igrimaced more than once at the gritty way Aronofsky shot the matches wesee early on in the film. A weapons-laden match I would have clamoredfor as a kid looks downright disgusting and vile now. The film is ladenwith these sorts of in-your-face gruesome shots, but it shows thereality of what this lifestyle is like and the pains these people haveto put up with in the name of entertainment. The reality is painful,and just terrifying in some instances. And made all the worse by theknowledge that this film is based in reality and is not entirelyfictional.While there are many supporting characters, the only ones who get anyreal time to do anything are Tomei and Wood. Tomei is great in herrole, and continues to prove that My Cousin Vinny was not a fluke. Hercharacter is going through the same has-been mentality that Rourke'sis, and you can see the saddened, sullied look in her face throughoutthe film. Her character craves more, but is unfortunately stuck in arut she cannot get out of. She is clearly overshadowed by thepowerhouse Rourke is, but she holds her own anyway. Wood on the otherhand, is merely just good. Many of her films have been aboutmisunderstood and ignored children, but her heart does not seem to betotally into this role. She gets very little screen time, and much ofit is highly emotional, but she just does not have the chops tocomplement Rourke. She has done much better work in the past.The film is also dragged down by a lengthy running time. This is ablazingly paced movie, but scenes that come late in the film feelsmisplaced, and almost entirely unneeded. We understand The Ram from themoment the movie starts; we do not need even more additional tidbits.It borders on overkill, and frequently feels a bit draggy. It is aproblem that has plagued many movies from 2008, but while it does notdestroy the film like it does in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,it does not help it much either.The film is far from perfect, but is an excellent nonetheless. Rourke'sperformance is nothing short of amazing. If he had not proved his worthas an actor before, he has more than proved himself now. This ismemorable and legendary work that will not soon be forgotten.8/10.

barrys82

(2012-03-24 10:43:38)

One of the best movies of the year. A great comeback from Mickey Rourke

The Wrestler is the story about Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a retiredwrestler making his way through the independent circuit, trying to getback in the game for one final showdown with his former rival. Directedby Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler is a non-stop, tear dropping dramathat shows us the necessity of some people of feeling loved and usefulat certain age. The plot is really interesting, raw and very real,although it has a slow rhythm it never turns tiresome to the viewer, infact as the movie moves along you wanna know more and more. Thewrestler has a wonderful cast. Mickey Rourke making an spectacularcomeback to the movie industry, his performance is flawless, sopowerful and convincing, he really deserved that Oscar in my opinion.Marisa Tomei proves that she is a great actress, no wonder she got anOscar nomination and Evan Rachel Wood was so convincing as Rourke'sdaughter. In conclusion, The Wrestler is one of the best movies I'veseen in the past year, definitely worthy and fully recommendable.

(2012-03-24 06:29:37)

Good film

Darren Aronofsky is an excellent filmmaker, so I knew this movie would be good. I do not see what all the fuss was about though; I thought it was good, but nothing earth shattering here. Mickey Rourke was great as the nearly washed up Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Once a great professional wrestler, he is now doing local fights, where he still is the greatest, but on a miserable scale. The film goes through the fascinating (to me) look at professional wrestling, from cutting to steroids. Randy's miserable life is made more miserable because of his unrequited love for a stripper named Cassidy played by Marisa Tomei. Randy also has a daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood, he abandoned long ago, and who know wants nothing to do with him. Complications further arise as Randy suffers a near fatal heart attack and is told never to wrestle or do drugs again.And here is where Rourke shines; Randy does try to do good by his body: he starts a relationship with his daughter, a friendship with Cassidy, and even gets a legitimate job at the deli counter. (The deli counter scene is my favorite, probably because it was improvised with real people and not extras!). But because life is unfair, he loses his job in a fit of rage, Cassidy rejects Randy's advances, which makes him forget about a dinner date with his daughter, which causes her to hate him again. Wait not hate, she does not feel anything for him, ouch! And so, alone again, Randy turns to the place where he was always loved, even though it may kill him, the ring.I thought it was a good film, with good acting, and an interesting story-Recommended.

pyrocitor

(2012-03-18 16:20:41)

Like its protagonist, very familiar yet brutally authentic and packing a hefty clout

For certain films, the particular package proves so impeccablyassembled that it is near impossible to imagine an alternate outcome,and there are few better examples than Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler.Initially planned as a Nicholas Cage vehicle of all things, enoughliterature has been devoted to the poignant parallelism between thefilm's protagonist, former 1980s superstar wrestler Randy 'The Ram'Robinson and star Mickey Rourke and the authenticity of Rourke'scasting to fill several books. And while the abundance of praisebestowed on Aronofsky's film threatens to oversell the product itself("Witness the resurrection of Mickey Rourke" one poster quote boasts),The Wrestler remains one of those rare films which hint at a real truthbehind layers of cinematic constructs, making it, if not quite "thenext Raging Bull" as many would have it, a captivating and visceralwatch. Rather than challenging assertions of popular wrestling being staged,Aronofsky seems to relish them, casting an unflinchingly critical gazeupon its primarily theatrical nature, and showing his wrestlers warmlyhugging before matches, talking through the fight and going out forbeers afterward - a far cry from the vicious bloodlust shown in thering. But neither does Aronofsky dismiss his chosen sport on thegrounds of inauthenticity, but simultaneously finds much to appreciateand celebrate in wrestling, from the careful choreography in the ringand stage presence of the stars, to the sheer dogged determination theydisplay towards their craft - in one particularly gruesome scene,Randy, secretly takes a concealed razor blade and slits his forehead,to finish the match bathed in a grotesque shroud of blood. In fact, Aronofsky's both critical and celebratory treatment ofwrestling proves representative of his film as a whole. Functioningprimarily as a character study of 'The Ram', The Wrestler is, on thesurface, a devastatingly bleak film, with Aronofsky refusing to shyaway from the character's fall from glory into a truly pitiful state,his pumped up body steadily withering away, and his life reduced tosolitary shambles, while still coasting by on his glory days fromtwenty years ago. Aronofsky intriguingly explores the harrowing outcomeof what to do when the one thing a person knows how to do is no longerpossible when their body gives out on them, and the pitiful search forscraps of meaning afterward - a theme paralleled by Marisa Tomei'sstruggling stripper. But, like many such career reflective films asJohn Wayne's The Shootist and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, Aronofskyrefuses to let his deflated superstar fade away, emasculated, butinstead dignifies him with a final, triumphant bout of glory.In fact, the similarities to the aforementioned westerns becomeincreasingly inescapable as the main criticism towards Aronofskysurfaces. Much like Randy himself, the film, despite its indisputablepower, feels very familiar, yet another retread of a common templateseen in everything from heist or crime films (the oh so stereotypical"one last job") to the aforementioned Raging Bull, to just about anygenre proving introspective on masculinity and heroism. As such, theblend between the brutally authentic and the film's playing on thefamiliar makes for a touch of an imbalanced and less immersive watch attimes. Similarly, as paradoxical a criticism as it may seem in such adespairingly dark film, Aronofsky is equally unafraid to lay on thesentiment, and at times, while the infusion of humour and warmth intothe film is often a welcome reprieve, they do come on as a littlestrong, as if attempting to overcompensate for the film's overall moresombre tone (the collection of soft spoken, polite and frequentlyhugging and cheering fellow wrestlers is perhaps a step too far awayfrom the stereotype). But many of the film's lighter moments are fartoo genuinely heart-warming to object to, as Randy's impromptu playingpackaged meat football with his deli customers, struggling tocomprehend a young neighbourhood boy's explanations of the game Call ofDuty 4 while playing an old Nintendo wrestling game, and his clumsyattempts to win back his estranged daughter among others appearmerciful pinholes of hope amidst a veil of fatalism. Similarly,Aronofsky's use of jittery, naturalistic cinematography dispels fearsof the film becoming overly cinematic, while maintaining a veneer ofgrim authenticity to the film. While it may seem particularly ironic that the part of a former titanfading away should provide so much of a career reboot for star MickeyRourke, the indisputable power and poignancy of his performance easilymerits every last scrap of hype. Rouke is a triumph, complimentingRandy's cocky, superstar swagger with a humiliating limp, and provingjust at adapt at heartbreakingly weeping over his abandoned relationswith his daughter as casting a bold grin around a roaring wrestlingring - a nuanced, beautifully naturalistic and innately likableportrait of masculinity at its most stunted. Marisa Tomei is alsoexceptional as ageing stripper Cassidy, forced to confront herdeclining body as she is turned away by customers. Tomei's performanceis just as willfully honest in the midst of its haunting characterflaws as Rourke's, and while she may deliver less raw dramaticintensity, hers is more of a quiet, slow burning bit ofcharacterisation which ultimately proves just as resonant. Evan RachelWood is also devastatingly believable as Randy's cast away daughter,with Wood providing an achingly wounded soul underneath her character'smask of indignant fury towards her father - the scenes between her andRourke provide the vast majority of the film's most beautiful andtragic moments. Just as mesmerizing a treatment of ageing and society's reaction to itas a hauntingly poignant character study and introspective analysis ofpopular entertainment, The Wrestler packs a devastating emotional punchand enough surprises to make up for its predictable narrative arc andperiodic excesses of sentiment. For any audiences willing to stomachits bleak and brutal content, Aronofsky's film should be consideredcompelling and vital viewing. -8.5/10

(2012-03-18 04:37:48)

Good performances; good movie.

See Mickey Rourke's Oscar nominated performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He does a great job in his portrayal of Ram. The movie shows what goes on behind the scenes in the world of wrestling. Marisa Tomei (also Oscar nominated for her supporting role) plays a stripper mom with a heart. Good performances; good movie.