Viewed in
2009
Premise
Mickey Rourke stars as a professional wrestler 20 years past his prime.
Who should watch
Mickey Rourke and wrestling fans.
Thoughts
As a wrestling fan, I enjoyed this character piece.
I thought the acting and wrestling scenes were very authentic. Director Darren Aronofsky did a great job of clearly showing what goes on during a match, such as interactions between wrestlers and the crowd, and the art of selling the illusion. I appreciated the sobering reminders of the price some wrestlers pay for entertaining us.
Kudos to costume designer and music department for reminding me of the 1980's wrestling experience. Also, I loved the shout outs to some of the iconic wrestling legends of that era.
The strength of the film was the acting. First of, was a brave performance by Marisa Tomei as a stripper. I loved her for going topless, but at the same time sending Hollywood a message by proudly showing off her 'old' body. Sexiness does not discriminate based on age.
Lastly, this film would not be what it is without Mickey Rourke and his baggage. Had I been familiar with Rourke's early career, I'm positive this would have been a very cathartic film. He carried the film, as I could feel every ache in his bones while walking, and every ache in his heart as he suffers. I could see him win best actor.
Overall, it was a good film, with Mickey Rourke (and his context) overcoming the average story.
What I would change
Cut out the daughter or stripper subplot, so there could be more screen time to expand on the other. Also, I wished there was more focus on the daily aches and pains a wrestler goes through; not everyone does hardcore (weapons) every match, and regular matches can still take a toll.
