‘Wrestler’ puts audience in firm grip

“My only faith’s in the broken bones and bruises I display.” This describes Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), the main character in “The Wrestler.” The line shows up in Bruce Springsteen’s song of the same name, written and performed by the legendary artist at the request of Rourke himself. The ballad graces the movie’s closing credits, and who better to convey the sense of desperation and shame of a beat-up, has-been American than the singer/songwriter of “Born in the U.S.A.”?

“The Wrestler,” as directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), is an intensely emotional and tragic story of a once-prominent brawler. In the 1980s, Randy “The Ram” was on posters and magazines everywhere, performing in bout after bout. In present day New Jersey, he is close to nobody, wrestling in weekend matches with amateurs and working at a supermarket to make ends meet. Randy gets an opportunity to put the limelight in a chokehold of his own again, and has to make decisions regarding the career he loves and his continuously failing health.

At once poignant and brutal, Randy’s story takes us into a world filled with fascinating characters, ranging from adoring 9-year-olds to aspiring wrestlers. Some of the best scenes involve back-room discussions amongst the wrestling showmen about how to win over the crowd. “Do the leg thing?” one wrestler asks to another. “No, no. Do the neck. That get’s ’em cheering!” These interactions, coupled with the loose feel of the camera, give a great portion of the film a documentary feel. Indeed, actual amateur wrestlers were used in all of the scenes featuring matches, further cementing what amounts to an authentic experience. Some of the brawls are truly barbaric, with the fighters using tacks, staple guns, and pane-glass windows. The stunt-work is nothing short of breathtaking, and one shot in particular – involving a ladder, barbed wire, and a table – leaves the audience scratching their head over how it was done.

Rourke (“Sin City”) as Randy, seems to effortlessly embody his character’s mannerisms.

“I’m an old, broken-down piece of meat,” he tells his daughter, and then he adds pleadingly, “I just don’t want you to hate me,” as tears roll down his face. His troubles mirror that of the actor’s, struggling through drug addiction and the pressures of a once-popular career that has since shown its fickle nature. His daughter, in a bit role played by Evan Rachel Wood (“Thirteen”), and Pam (Marisa Tomei), a stripper at a local club, are the few pieces of humanity he can grasp. Each play their parts well enough (Tomei so much so that she was given an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress). Director Aronofsky takes us in and out of various locations familiar to Randy, often in long, winding takes. It’s very effective, allowing us to peak into the banalities of his life in between matches. Sound mixing adds a great deal as well, as evidenced in a brilliant scene which follows Rourke through the bowels of a deli. As he nears the entrance curtain to the deli counter, the faint cheers and cries of a distant crowd are heard. He stands and soaks it all in. When he emerges on the other side, the sounds instantly vanish.

The script and story, though emotionally fulfilling, are at times cliché and predictable. We know some of Randy’s decisions before he makes them, though watching him decide why makes it worth watching.The relationships between him, his daughter, and his stripper friend, though vital to the story, hardly break any new ground, but this is Rourke’s movie, hands down. He adds flesh and blood (literally, by the bucket-full) to a character that would have been wholly one-dimensional.

Grade: B+

“The Wrestler” is rated R for violence, language, and sexuality/nudity.

Oscar Watch: ‘The Wrestler’ has been nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Mickey Rourke) and Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei).