This is getting increasingly rare these days, this film lives up to all of its hype. It is a great film.

Darren Aronofsky (Pi) directed this tragic story about a washed-up wrestler named Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (Mickey Rourke). Robinson is a slow-witted lummox who is at the end of his career. Once a national All-Star Wrestling star back in the 80's, Robinson has descended into wrestling small venues of a couple hundred people while sleeping in his van because he can't make rent. Robinson attempts to cobble together a normal life out of the spent remains of the past few decades but finds living outside of the lights and rink troublesome at best. Aronofsky covers the action with a very natural light and very little intrusion. The key to the film is that the slow disintegration of Robinson seems like we are witnessing reality unfold. The combination of Rourke's brilliant performance and the organic development of the scenes makes this is a riveting film.

This is a character oriented piece so the lead must carry his load. Mickey Rourke's performance is as good as you have heard. He deserved the Oscar for Best Performance for his work in this film. In my world, the Oscar shouldn't be distributed every year, but something that is earned. It should only go to an actor who dominates a role - who becomes the only person who could perform it. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector or Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump are two examples. Rourke's Robinson is on par with these performances.

The biggest surprise from the film is Marisa Tomei in the role of aging stripper Cassidy. Cassidy, like Robinson, makes a living by her body but that body is becoming too old. Robinson's body is breaking down, her's has to compete with girls fifteen, perhaps twenty years, younger. The parallels between the two aren't lost on Aronofsky and he plays the two off one another perfectly. Tomei has made a good living portraying ditzes and sluts. Usually, these roles don't give her much to work with and she tends to fall into the background (What Women Want is a good example of this.) She has started take on meatier roles such as the distraught Gina in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. With this film she provides a strong performance that makes up for whatever mistakes and/or poor judgment that awarded her a Best Supporting Actress win for My Cousin Vinny.

The film delivers and couldn't have been made better. It is nearly flawless, in my estimation, and I sincerely recommend it. The way the film is shot, the brutal wrestling matches, Robinson's painfully slow descent, all of it is done to perfection and is worth seeing.






Related Reviews:
Marisa Tomei movies
What Women Want (2000)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)


Other Critic's Reviews:
SouthCon
Film Critics United

Labels: Darren Aronofsky, film, Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke, movie review