I know this review may spark some argument from our large, flavorful blog founder, but it is what it is.
The Wrestler
For me, this film just didn't live up to the hype and critical acclaim. Mickey Rourke plays a man who is basically strung out on the brief and fleeting national fame he gained as a pro wrestler in his younger days, and who just can't stop going back for the empty fix that small-time wrestling in front of small crowds gives him. Therefore, he's willing to sacrifice all responsibilities, meaningful relationships and his own face, body and health to keep getting his applause fix. So basically, Rourke plays himself. Ba-dum bump.
Don't get me wrong, Rourke expertly plays the role of a loser who puts 100% into the superficial pursuit of second-rate celebrity, while paying half-hearted lip service to meaningful things. Rourke creates a small-time wrestling version of Rocky Balboa without heart. He's not even torn between the third-rate spotlight and the things in his life that are missing or that have been missing him. Even when he pretends to get interested in the daughter he abandoned - only because his true love of being at centerstage might kill him - that wears off when a couple of bar whores buy him shots and offer to exchange STDs with him. Why? Because they feed his celebrity monkey. When he realizes that being a real person and building relationships just doesn't do it for him, he finally abandons all relationships in his life and all respect for his own life for one more round of applause.
There's certainly something compelling and sad about a character study of somebody with a one track mind who will pursue the superficial, immediate gratification of minor fame over anything meaningful or worthwhile. The difficulty is that I didn't really give a shit about the character, even as realistically as he was portrayed.
The most interesting character was the stripper portrayed by Marisa Tomei. She showed some sympathy for the old douchebag while still keeping the whole thing in perspective. She also holds a clever mirror up to the wrestler's face - not that he noticed - with her resistance to moving their relationship anywhere beyond dancer and customer. "I don't date customers." Exactly. There is no honest, meaningful relationship to be had between a performer and his or her consumers. That's not a personal relationship.
The stripper realizes she gets nothing real by sacrificing her dignity for her customers other than the money - which is what she is in it for. The wrestler hardly makes a living sacrificing his body, but somehow continues to make the mistake of thinking that his audience can offer him family. This interaction between the stripper who gets it and the wrestler who doesn't further exposes the flaw in the wrestler's fruitless but never-ending effort to find emotional satisfaction by being in front of strangers. He'll never find it there, but he never stops trying and he never learns it. Again, it's sad, but I couldn't figure out why the stripper gave him the time of day, much less why I should care about him.
The film almost hit home for me when the wrestler goes back to the ring for the last time, knowing that he may not survive it. This is because I thought he was about recognizing that his pursuit of bullshit had left him with nothing, so he may as well kill himself with it, not unlike the alcholic who loses his job, wife, kids and home and makes a conscious choice to drink himself to death. However, the wrestler shirks this reality and celebrates his return to the ring with what appears to be his honest, heartfelt assessment that these redneck wrestling fans really are his family. Instead of realizing he has nothing, he claims to have something that doesn't exist. He learns nothing.
There was a lot to like about this film, including the performances by Rourke and Tomei and the interesting similarities between their trades. However, the story and the process the main character went through was stagnant and a linear move from Point A to... Point A. I think the story could have been much better and some easy tweaks could have really had me in the wrestler's corner at the end. As it stood, I felt a little cheated that I didn't get the satisfaction of watching him die.
3 comments:
TK,
Great review I thought you hit it the movie spot on. I guess the difference for me was with the Rourke character, no the character didnt come full circle like most movie characters do, in a way in which you start to feel for him. You are right he did the exact opposite he came close to getting his daughter back and blew it, but I think that is what makes this story interesting. It wasnt the prototypical story in which character hits rock bottom, realizes his past mistakes and overcomes. In this story the character hits rock bottom, and instead of fighting to get back what he lost, he hides behind a character that he fabricated because he cannot deal with the problems. You compared him to a drunk, which is spot on. I think there are a lot of similarities to Nic Cages character in Leaving Las Vegas. Instead of using booze to escape the reality of his life, he uses The Ram, and ring to escape reality. Now I agree that isnt that fulfilling of a story, but I think it is real, and I love how real this movie felt. I dont think there is many lessons to be taken from this movie, but I do think it was good. I guess I have a fascination with the way people react when they seemingly have no place left to go. Some people are willing to fight for what they love and what should be important to them, but I wouldnt say that is most people. I think most people are like the Ram, and continue to run from there problems. It is sad, this movie was sad, even if you didnt feel for him, you had to feel sad for the people that were close to him that he let down. I mean just like a drunk, the victim is not the person who hits the bottle or in this case risks his life in the ring, the victims are everyone that loves them and have to watch them throw there life away. I totally agree with your review spot on, I just enjoyed it more than you did. A lot more from the sounds of it.
The comparison with Cage in LLV is a good one. I loved LLV because I cared about Cage's character. The two followed similar paths, but Cage's character had a sense that he had really fucked things up, he didn't have the courage to try to make it right, he was giving up and he just wanted to drink and drink until he died so he would never have to think about it again. He admitted that. I could sympathize with that. I could relate to that.
For some reason, I just never felt that Randy ever truly admitted that anything was his fault. His fans were loyal, other people weren't, so he went with the Ram instead of his life. I don't think he ever felt honest regret. It makes him interesting, but if he doesn't care, neither do I.
I may like it better if I view it again sometime.
Just a tid bit, Nicholas Cage was originally supposed to play the "Ram" character, but eventually turned down the role, and Rourke took it. I wonder how this role would have changed with Cage. I agree with you, Rourke is a self centered person, and that was definetely evident in this portrayal which makes it hard to feel any sympathy for him, on screen or in real life for that matter.
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