"The Wrestler" - a film about the essence of sports and about the extraordinary athlete
Mickey Rourke's acting makes the production perfect
Do you like the art of wrestling? Do you enjoy a combination of acting and sports skills? If your answer is yes, then there is one movie that you must watch. It is about "The Wrestler" in English, which tells about a man who is extremely good at his job and continues to do it out of pride, necessity and because he has incredible qualities. He is a true professional who makes a living doing an amazing job.
Critics define wrestling as fake wrestling, but they do not realize that it is a profession that combines two activities within itself. Actually, if you look more closely, you will find fascination in this sport. Matches are often scripted and the good guys win in the end, but there are elements where you have to be a real master to avoid getting hurt. Every single move is well trained, specially played and includes pure sports elements. As people who know wrestling say, these competitors learn how to fall.
This is exactly what the character Randy Robinson, nicknamed "Aries", who is played by a real athlete in the person of Mickey Rourke, shows us. Rourke's phenomenal performance is worthy of major awards in the world of cinema. There is also an element of truth in it, which only confirms how magnificently the role is played. Rourke himself was young and famous, earning big money from the sport. However, many people were surprised when he gave up his sports career to pursue acting, which reached its peak in The Wrestler.
His physical play is incredible. He looks like a bodybuilder, maybe on steroids, which adds to the sense of authenticity because Randy would be one too. The hero gets in the ring and does the job he needs to do. Perhaps not every stunt is performed by Rourke, as the many effects in the cinema allow the viewer to be deceived, but everything seems extremely believably done.
The foundation of the story is built on the suffering that Randy has to endure in the ring. It also includes his poor relationship with his daughter Stephanie, played by Evan Rachel Wood. The wrestler wants to turn the relationship with the stripper Cassady into a serious relationship, which only confirms his not so pleasant image. Besides his friendship with older wrestlers, Randy is lonely, with no people to support him. He also doesn't blindly trust Cassidy, whose real name is Pam.
It is from his relationship with Cassidy, or Pam, that the irony comes. In practice, both are performers. He with his activities in the ring and she is a sex worker. They both put on a show and offer customers what they pay for. Both make their living acting. In such professions, a big gap often opens between the professionals and the fans, and for this reason, many show business people marry each other to keep the secrets of their performances.
However, Randy is proving wiser for his age. He is less and less blinded by fame and more willing to admit emotional need. The kechist has a residual charm and sentimentality that both helps and deceives him. He's making progress with his daughter, but things are a little more difficult with Cassidy. Her role is played by Marisa Tomei, who seems to give off an unnecessary sense of goodness for a stripper.
One of the most masterfully crafted details by director Darren Aronofsky is related to the presentation of the behind-the-scenes life of the wrestlers. They go around all kinds of halls, old school halls and community centers, use everything they can find as a dressing room, agree in advance on the script to provide the necessary spectacle. We understand what it costs these people to bleed in the ring, to be ready for "unexpected" surprises, to talk during the matches, etc., etc.
The Wrestler is without a doubt one of the best sports movies of all time, and Mickey Rourke's acting is of the highest quality and deserves much more than just good words.