THE WRESTLER

The Wrestler is about a washed-up professional wrestler named Randy The Ram who's desperately trying to make a comeback. Randy, played by actor Mickey Rourke (whom many movie critics likewise regarded as washed-up before this flick came out), makes his living during the week working in a supermarket and wrestles on the weekends. He gets his chance at a comeback when he gets offered to wrestle one of his past opponents from his most famous wrestling match who calls himself The Ayatollah. However, a few weeks before the match, Randy suffers a debilitating heart attack after a rather grueling match where his opponent staples him (yes, you heard that right), among other brutal things. The doctor informs him that he can't wrestle anymore or he could very well die in the process. Randy reluctantly agrees to "retire" from pro-wrestling and backs out of his upcoming match with The Ayatollah. However, after his attempted reconciliation with his estranged daughter--played by noted eccentric actress Evan Rachel Wood (who once dated noted shock rocker Marilyn Manson)--doesn't go as planned and his advances towards his love-interest in the film who's an aging stripper--played by Marisa Tomei--gets rebuffed, he decides to do the wrestling match between him and The Ayatollah regardless of the risks. I, of course, won't tell you how said wrestling match ends except that it kind of leaves it up in the air what exactly happens to Randy The Ram after he performs his signature leap onto his old wrestling nemesis. Like I pointed out before, many critics and/or filmgoers regarded The Wrestler as Mickey Rourke's comeback film. If truth be told, Rourke himself probably regarded this as his "comeback" movie. In fact, in the scene before his match with The Ayatollah when he gives his teary-eyed speech to all his loyal fans, one could easily think Mickey was giving that speech not just to Randy The Ram's fans but his "loyal" moviegoing fans as well. The Wrestler is not like your typical Hollywood-type blockbuster in that it was shot like a documentary and some of the scenes were actually improvised. However, don't expect a Rocky-style "inspirational" film and especially don't expect a happily-ever-after ending, as, again, I pointed out before. However, Mickey Rourke's acting more than makes up for the rather bleakness of the film (and, believe you me, this film can be rather bleak).