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"The Wrestler" movie review
By: Laurie Vordtriede of St. Louis, Mo., Torch reader

I saw "The Wrestler" last night and wanted to give you my opinion. It was the last feature of the 2008 St. Louis Film Festival. Our tickets were bought about two weeks in advance, and it's a good thing because it was sold out by the time we arrived at the theater.

To me - and I assume most wrestling fans - the most important aspect of judging this film is authenticity. This is a serious treatment of the professional wrestling business, and the re-creation of that world as it pertains to one particular wrestler is impeccable. The usual stereotypes are present, but nothing is used in an overly sensational way. The film is very matter-of-fact about all the dangers, temptations, and consequences that Mickey Rourke's character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, encounters and lets the audience members judge him for themselves.

There is no expository background story about The Ram and how he ended up as a 40-something weekend wrestler in declining health after having a huge run of success in the late 1980s. The first time he's shown, The Ram sits alone in an elementary school room slowly pulling of his elbow pads after wrestling in the gymnasium. The promoter apologetically hands him a few folded dollar bills, saying he'd hoped the gate would be better. The film production is reminiscent of a documentary; the picture is slightly grainy and the camera is handheld. The camera is very often positioned behind The Ram's shoulder as he goes about his day which adds to the straightforward, matter-of-fact way this film is presented.

As the camera follows The Ram at his day job at a grocery store, to the strip club Cheeques where he's a regular customer, and to his weekend matches with various independent companies, the aimlessness of his character is revealed in a big way. The Ram has little direction in his life. It is only after a sudden heart attack after a particularly violent match that he makes a real effort to connect to the few people still around him.

Rourke's portrayal of The Ram is authentic and sensitive. It is his performance that would make or break the film, no matter how serious the overall treatment is. It would have been easy for him to rely on stereotypes or hammy gestures and expressions which would have resulted in the two-dimensional character that the mainstream public thinks of when they hear "pro wrestler."

Rourke, however, creates an easy-going, charming, well-rounded human being with serious faults and who isn't always likeable. It's easy to understand how The Ram became a huge superstar in his heyday. He's a charismatic and genuinely nice guy who accepts the physical punishment as an almost mundane part of his life. In one scene, The Ram nonchalantly points out several deep scars as he describes some of his worst in-ring injuries.

The film is essentially a study of The Ram's efforts to save the few personal relationships he still has left. He has an adult daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) whom he hasn't seen or spoken to in years. He has also forged a friendship with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper who becomes his confidante and encourages him to reach out to his daughter.

The relationship between The Ram and his daughter feels a little bit forced in both directions - when she's angry at him, she's VERY angry and when she's accepting, she softens almost immediately. This is a small issue, however, and doesn't take away from the finished product.

It's clear from the portrayals of The Ram's personal relationships that no one knows who the real person is no matter how close they come to him. There is a scene where The Ram tells Cassidy that after his heart attack, he doesn't want to be alone. There is a sense that he's making an effort to reach out to her in a way he hasn't with anyone else before in his life. By the end of the film, The Ram comes to a conclusion that gives him new direction, but it's not the one he would have wanted had he lived his life differently.

The Wrestler is definitely worth seeing for both wrestling fans and non-fans. It plays like a genuine portrayal of one person's life who just happens to be a pro wrestler. As a fan, I would have been happy with anything that was a step above "Ready to Rumble."

It was also fun to see the cameos by numerous pro wrestlers such as Necro Butcher, Ron Killings, and Ernest Miller, who actually has a fairly significant role. On the other hand, it was difficult to watch sometimes knowing that for the most part the subject matter is not exaggerated. This film is going to hit close to home for a lot of fans.

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