THE WRESTLER: ROURKE AND ARONOFSKY'S TAG TEAM
January 24th 2009 08:33
Looking for redemption: Evan Rachel Wood and Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
It’s been a long way back to the top for Mickey Rourke. A 20 year odyssey since the late 80s where the physically intimidating actor has lurched about in a creative quicksand, one bad film leading to another with only the occasional quality role being flung his way. There was the disaster of 9½ Weeks (1986), the farce of Wild Orchid (1990) and the laughable travesty that was Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man (1991). Concurrently, Rourke returned to his first love of boxing, perhaps searching for someone to knock some sense into him.
In recent years, however, things began to change for the 52-year-old actor. Directors and casting agents seemed to remember the understated naturalism of Rourke’s best performances from the early to mid 80s in films such as Diner (1982) and Angel Heart (1987). A virtual cameo in The Pledge (2001) was followed by bigger roles in Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Man On Fire (2004) and of course his great turn as Marv in Sin City (2005).
Likewise, Darren Aronofsky is a director who needed a break. After the ambitious and impressive Pi (1998), he went on to write and direct the grim and distantly brutal Requim for a Dream (2000). It was in turn followed by the non-narrative of The Fountain (2006), a film that divided critics and mystified audiences. Many felt that Aronofsky had lost his way and scuppered the promise hinted at in his early films.
So Rourke and Aronofsky seemingly both found themselves trying to climb out of the same deep ditch. It’s fitting then that they’ve helped each other finally get back into the limelight with The Wrestler, which is the best work of both their careers.
Rourke plays Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, a professional wrestler very much in the twilight of his career. While at the end of the 80s Robinson was headlining wrestling matches all over the United States, he now gets by traveling New Jersey, popping pills to help keep his broken body in some sort of shape and performing to small die-hard crowds in school gyms and town halls. He’s lost touch with his daughter and generally lives a pitiful existence with few friends, although he seems to have struck up some sort of connection with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper who, like Randy, is seemingly coming towards the end of her working days in her chosen profession.
After one particularly outrageous bout, Randy’s body is pushed to breaking point and he is forced to reconsider his career and his life. Struggling with depression he attempts to reconnect with the forgotten parts of his past and, most importantly, make peace with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Of course, as Randy slips into retirement and engages the demons of his personal life the prospect of a rematch with his late 80s nemesis, The Ayatollah (Ernest Miller), is broached and he wonders what it would be like to hear the roar of the crowd one more time.
If all this sounds like pedestrian sports movie redemption, then you’d be close to the truth. What separates The Wrestler from its brethren however is the intimidating quality of the performances, a script that takes us deep into the esoteric world of professional wrestling while not pulling any punches and cinematography that implements a mixture of a documentary style pursuit of Randy and some remarkable more formal compositions.
Rourke is simply stunning in what could be the role of his lifetime. He’s physically authentic with his battered body and yet he possesses the emotional range to completely flesh out the many dimensions of Randy. The naturalistic scenes with his fellow wrestlers as they plan their moves are highlights, but it’s the gentle moments with both Cassidy and Stephanie that show Rourke at his best, self-deprecating charm puncturing a manufactured bravura.
Likewise, Aronofsky is in great touch. For once he’s left the screenwriting duties to someone else and concentrated on his directing. In the hands of the talented Robert Segel the screenplay is a gem that hits all the important beats, with meaty characterisations that move through natural arcs. Aronofsky then directs these sympathetic people with verve and affection whilst never shying away from the grit and almost absolute sorrow that at certain points takes hold of the story.
If there is one misstep with The Wrestler, it’s perhaps the casting of Marisa Tomei as Cassidy. Make no mistake: Tomei is a great (and under appreciated) actress and her performance is top notch. But believing her as a stripper who’s seen better days is a stretch. Tomei may have moved into her forties but she certainly doesn’t look washed up, something the audience is made acutely aware of as she spends a significant amount of time wearing not much in the way of clothing. While that may be cool for the trench coat brigade it actually harms the film, managing on a couple of occasions to take the audience completely out of the moment.
This is a minor complaint, however, and Rourke is so convincing as Randy that when he’s on screen you are right there with him, forgetting everything else and living through his hopes and adversities. It’s one of the most compelling films of the last few years and talk of Academy Awards is totally justified.
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