The Wrestler Issue #38

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

By Zipporah Porton
Published: December 1st, 2008 | 5:05pm

The Wrestler follows superstar ‘80s wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) — a washed up has-been who uses duct tape to keep his jacket together, but pays top dollar for steroids, hair dye, and a fake tan. Twenty years after his heyday, Robinson is working the local circuits as a respected elder statesman — at times even participating in cringe-worthy matches involving barbed wire and staple guns.

After suffering a heart attack, Robinson must reevaluate his career and life with the help of his only friend, Cassidy (Marissa Tomei), a stripper who can’t decide whether or not to keep things strictly business. Robinson also tries to rekindle his relationship with his estranged daughter — played by Evan Rachel Wood, whose performance is responsible for the film’s few predictable moments. Despite his attempts to take his life in a different direction, the call of the fans is always ringing in Robinson’s ears, even the one with a hearing aid.

Director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Pi) uses a documentary style, creating a raw quality that enhances Robinson’s downtrodden life. Eighties music punctuates each scene and, like any Aronofsky film, there are moments where you will have to look away from the screen. With his clownish, bloated face and overly inflated muscles, Rourke is both magnificent and horrifying as the eponymous character. Despite his constant mistakes, you’ll root for “The Ram” until the end.