The Wrestler

I was worried I had overhyped it to myself. I’ve done this in the past and was afraid that I had convinced myself that this film was going to be much greater than it actually had the potential to be. Then when I read that it wasn’t nominated for best picture or best director, I was sure I had made some wrong assumptions about “The Wrestler.”

There was no need for worry.

This film blew me away. The emotion Rourke pours into his role as “Randy the Ram” might very well be the single most convincing performance of (at least) the past year. This is one of those films that you don’t just believe what the actor is saying. Instead you spend two hours in the shoes of the character, absorbing every punch, cringing at each harsh exchange, feeling the pain and hope that comes along with living as “The Ram.”

While Rourke was amazing (and he really is), he couldn’t have done this by himself. Darren Aronofsky’s direction of this film is incredible. One aspect I particularly enjoyed were the shaky hand held cameras used at specific times to give the gritty impression of following The Ram as he moved from locker room to backstage, then out and into the spotlight. This viewpoint is utilized more than once, each time reflecting the paths that the lives of Randy and Pam are following, ones that they might change if they only believed they could.

Marissa Tomei mirrors Randy’s life as his middle aged, stripper friend Cassidy, struggling in her own right with her empty, lonely life, and similarly aging body. I found her entirely believable and deserving of the best supporting actress nom she received.

There is so much more I could say. The intensity inside the ring being balanced by the respect (and even intimacy) of The Ram’s fellow wrestlers. The way Randy relates to the kids in the trailer park where he lives. The piercing references to Randy as a Christ figure. Even the closing song by Bruce Springsteen as the credits wait to roll; it’s all beyond incredible.

I really think its a shame that this film is being passed up for two of the three awards it is certainly deserving of. Hopefully Rourke gets the Oscar for best actor. Then if we’re lucky, this might mark the beginning of his return to award winning films and hopefully more performances even a fraction as good as in “The Wrestler.”