The Wrestler

Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey.

Any pro sports star one day has to call time on a career. Arnold Palmer no longer competes at the masters, Ali never steps into the ring, and one day even David Beckham will not be playing football. Why use these 3 pro athletes? Well they all have the management behind them to ensure that they will retire and never have to work again, and the same goes for their children.

However there is the other side to the sports world. The poorly managed star who gets swept up in the moment, needs to spend more then he his getting to stay in the limelight and in people minds. When these sports stars careers come to an end, their lives fall apart.

The Wrestler tells the tale of Sports Entertainments main attraction, Randy. Only its twenty years since he appeared in a pay per view battle in the ring with the Ayatollah. He lives in a trailer when he can afford to pay the bills, but sleeps in his car the rest of the time. Is divorced, in love with a stripper played by the ever beautiful Tomie who doubles as his only friend and he has a job in a super market.

At the weekends he is still the main attraction at school halls and sports centres as a pro wrestler, only he is not getting younger and gets a hell of a beating. How he deals with the come down is soul destroying. He sets out to rebuild what went wrong, dreams of one day returning to the ring one last time for a pay day.

On the love side we have a stripper who is just that little bit too old. Out done by the younger more agile women. She has a dream but how can you get back into working a 9-5 job and buy a condo when the only job you have known is to perform on stage and be a responsible mum.  

It makes you think how many more people like this there are out there, apparently Rowdy Roddy Piper burst into tears whilst watching this claiming that it was just like his life.

Mickey Rourke is tremendous in his role as Randy.  It’s ironic really that Rourke proves himself by playing a role which is a metaphor for his career.  This is one of the sadist tales I have seen in a very long time. Robbed of Oscars because of the politics behind the actor rather then the performance it should be voted on.  A truly great flick which pulls at the heartstrings and really has you rooting for the underdog.

DVD Extras

-Making of documentary (Within the Ring)

-Interview with Mickey Rourke

-Theatrical trailer

~Review by Alex