The Wrestler (2008)

Mickey Rourke makes his career movie, a moving, emotional down to earth gritty story of an old sore wrestler who tries to make it with a failing heart and lonely life.

This is a really decent film with good performances and a insightful look into the fake wrestling world. Its actually kinda funny really...grown men in tights grappling with each other, wearing make up and whats more its actually a very popular 'sport' in the US. This baffles me, do grown up's know its fake? I can forgive kids obviously but grown adults? will this film scar some people for life with its spoilers of the wrestling world?

Behind the scenes the film shows how the whole setup works, from drugs and muscle enchancing to scripts and fake injuries...its all there yet why its so popular is another story. The plot isn't too original, the sleazy stripper that needs to be won over, the come back, the bad father who battles to keep his daughter by his side, we've seen it before in many sports flicks but this looks fresh and realistic.
The film is almost in a documentary style, following 'the Ram' around as he pushes through life. The camera is shaky handheld, there aren't any special effects and their is a lot of real human emotion that all people from all walks of life can relate to, its very touching and at times slightly depressing to be honest.

Rourke himself looks pretty shit these days...a bloated hotdog with a scarred, stretched face from too much surgery, he shifts around like a brick with a heavy suntan and delivers speech much like an 80's Stallone. His performance isn't the greatest in the world but he does make you believe he could be a wrestler and you do feel for him all the way through the film, you want his life to work out. In this sense he acts well but what he shows isn't too far from the 'Marv' character in 'Sin City', a large mumbling hulk.

Its still a very good film due to its portrayal of real life and real problems which so many skip around or fantasize too much. The ending is too sad really, I would of liked to see a better finish for the old Ram...I guess Mickey did his job well cos I'm upset about his characters final scene.


9/10