BEFORE: Clearing my list of sports movies this week. Continuing last night's theme of an aging athlete seeking a second chance or a shot at redemption...
THE PLOT: A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.
AFTER: A similar idea, but last night's film and tonight's couldn't be more different in tone. "The Rookie" left me with such a feeling of hope, and this film makes me feel like we're all just circling the cosmic drain. Perhaps the real truth lies somewhere in-between...
Mickey Rourke is perfectly cast as an aging wrestler who's been damaging his body for years, and then medically advised to stop. I liked the scene where he spoke to his doctor and said, "But I'm a professional wrestler!". And the doctor replied, "Well, THAT'S not a good idea." (My other favorite line, concerning his hatred for 90's music: "That Cobain pussy had to come around and ruin everything..." Amen, brother.)
Perhaps the casting was a little TOO spot-on, as Rourke didn't win an Oscar for what is really, in the end, a powerful performance. But since I haven't seen Sean Penn in "Milk" yet, I have to reserve my idle speculation. Maybe Rourke's inability to move his face also hurt his chances, in that it's harder for him to express himself.
Wrestling fans will probably enjoy the action scenes between Randy "The Ram" and various colorful opponents, like the Ayatollah, coaxed out of retirement for a 20th anniversary rematch (clearly a reference to the Iron Sheik...). Yes, I know a few things about wrestling, but there's probably a ton of things I don't know. I found most of it OK to watch, except for the barbed-wire and staple-gun matches...
Randy Robinson tries to put his life outside the ring back together, but has a challenging time of it. His years of absence in his daughter's life are a difficult hurdle, and he has a Catch-22 type relationship with a stripper, played by Marisa Tomei. (Unlike Natalie Portman in "Closer", Tomei's willing to do the work)
He can't see her unless he goes to the club, but she won't enter into a relationship with a customer. He also works at a supermarket deli counter, which presents its own set of challenges.
If you've seen Darren Aronofsky's other films, like "Pi" or "Requiem for a Dream", you might have an indication what direction the film is eventually going to go. As the Doors once sang, "The future's uncertain, and the end is always near."
Also starring Evan Rachel Wood, stand-up comic Todd Barry and (my one-time college roommate) Judah Friedlander.
RATING: 6 out of 10 turnbuckles
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