The Wrestler

Well I've just watched The Wrestler directed by Darren Aronofsky and thought I would give it an impulsive review.

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson was a well-loved wrestler of the 1980s and 20 years on is still wrestling in gyms and theatres around the US. Having lost contact with his daughter and holding no real relationships, he thrives from the thrill and drama of the live show. However, Randy is forced to face the reality of what lies outside the ring when he has a heart attack and his identity begins to slip away. Trying to reestabilish what he once had, Randy tries to reconnect with his daughter and begins a romance with an aging stripper. But the live crowd beckons and what lies outside the ring does not compare with what lies within.

Micky Rourke is spellbinding as Randy and the film is executed extremely well. Aronofsky is known to push his actors to extreme limits and here it definitely pays off. Also there was no fixed storyboard so actors were allowed to ad lib giving the film a raw, edgy, documentary feel. The wrestling was actually filmed at weekends interspersed in real live performances with a live crowd, providing an unpolished immersive aesthetic. Retrospectively, the $5 million dollar budget is perhaps a necessary requisite to create such passionate realism. Overall a brilliant film and Aronofsky's message is one of dedication; stick to your guns and don't let anything stand in your way.