He said it best at the end, when you live a hard life and party hard, you find yourself a pretty lonely guy. All he knew at that point was the wrestling and he chose it and the party over establishing a relationship with his daughter and a woman. He was a likeable guy who was very self-aware, and somewhat humble, but he couldn't choose a steady life over what he knew best. I met a boxer who was like this guy, who's in his upper 40's and now works as an exterminator. He had won some middleweight championships and had some national fame, and without any education or real skills, he retired and un-retired several times, losing badly, but just trying to re-gain some form of the life he had. It's a sad way to live, closing bars every night hoping someone will recognize you so you can take your belts out the trunk of your car and show some photographs, waking up the next day to the reality that it's never going to come back.

Brave performance by one-handsome Rourke, laying himself bare to play a character down on his luck and suffering after too hard a life.
Some brutal moments, but great performances all round make this Oscar-nominated movie well worth viewing.

This film received a large amount of acclaim for the Mickey Rourke's portrayal of an aging wrestler, and it was a very different sort of sports film than the usual. It has both realistic pro wrestling exhibitions as well as several poorly lit pole-dance scenes. Though the pacing of the film bordered on ponderous, Rourke was very convincing in his portrayal as the Willy Loman of wrestling.

Hard to add more to what has already been said regarding the film, but speaking for myself, it is one of the best films I've recently seen. Mickey Rourke is indeed masterful in the lead role; I always thought Rourke was a very good actor...I thought so when I first saw him in "Barfly" and "Body Heat" and even "The Pope of Greenwich Village", which was a rip-off of the superior "Mean Streets"...and it's a pleasure to see someone written off by nearly everyone as a has-been flake redeem himself. It's a sad, wrenching film; there's no uplifting ending, no Hollywood-style sugar sprinkled on so everyone goes home feeling gooey and warm, but it's honest and real in ways that few films are anymore, and for me that's uplifting enough all on its own. Rourke's character engages us because he isn't a selfish prick, he isn't a sociopath, or a greedy, calculating bastard. He's a genuinely sweet guy battling his way through life in the only niche that ever worked for him at all. When he falls down in terms of his responsibilities to the other people in his life, it's not because of maliciousness or callousness on his part; his life experiences have left him emotionally as numb and battered as any of his exertions in the ring have left him physically numb and battered. That his final "redemption" or deliverance occurs in a "sport" as phony and bogus as wrestling only emphasizes the sad inevitability of everything that has transpired throughout the course of the film.

Marisa Tomei is nearly as good as the aging stripper as lost and hopeless as "Ram" Robinson, but, like "Ram", she hasn't yet lost her heart, or her soul. Evan Rachel Wood isn't in the film for very long, but she makes a strong impression as Ram's alienated daughter, and she promises to be one of America's better actors in the years to come. The only other film of Darren Aronofsky that I've seen is "Requiem for a Dream". I thought it was a good film, but, outside of Ellen Burstyn's magnificent performance as the drug-addicted mother, I didn't think anything about it was great. "The Wrestler" is a great film full of performances that transcend the usual constraints of "acting" and become "magical", as the best performances always do.

A well-directed and well-acted film about beat-up and washed-up people. . .who hang on to slim threads of hope with broken hands, fingers, whatever. . .

Much has been said about the lead actors- and the hype is real. . .they play broken people who struggle for things that many of us (on occasion) take for granted. . .

I love the east-coast focus (some things in this film were familiar to me) and the sense of depicting people who just won't let the 80's go - bleached hair, shiny clothes, hair-band rock, simplistic depictions ("The Ayatollah!") . . .there are fleeting moments when it's not about the wrestler and the girl- it's all the bloodthirsty 'fans' who are re-living some past glory of the 80's as well. . .

It's an amazing film by Darren Arofonsky- I felt he was overrated until now. He's arrived. Only Clint Eastwood or this guy could've directed this.

It's a rock-solid five. . .my heart cracked at two specific moments when the wrestler was so painfully honest - so candid it was refreshing to watch a film about characters who had no illusions of themselves. Brutal, painful, and quite original.

A Simon and Garfunkel song of the 1960s called "The Boxer" tells the story of a washed-up fighter who responds to his life with determination and fortitude. After the singer recounts the humiliations he has faced in and outside of the boxing ring, the song concludes: "I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains./ I am leaving but the fighter still remains."

This movie and DVD, "The Wrestler" has much of the grittiness of the Simon and Garfunkel song as it tells of a character who must follow his chosen path at all costs. Among other things, the movie also reminded me of the tough, shabby yet intense world of the underground writer Charles Bukowski. In the 1980s, Mickey Rourke, who has the lead role in this movie played Bukowski's alter ego Henry Chinanski in an adaptation of Bukowski's short story "Barfly".

Most of the time, people need to stay within themselves to give their lives meaning. This seems to me to be the theme of "The Wrestler." Mickey Rourke, who has just won a Golden Globe award for his performance, plays an aging pro wrestler, Randy "The Ram Robinson". The Ram had fought a battle with a wrestler named The Ayatollah in the 1980s, but 20 years later is reduced to cheap matches in small arenas. The Ram lives alone in a trailer park near Elizabethtown, New Jersey. After a particularly violent match, the Ram suffers a heart attack. His doctor tells him not to fight again. The Ram attempts to find meaning in his life apart from wrestling in a romantic involvement with an aging stripper, Cassidy (Maria Tormei), in making amends with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and in taking a day job at a deli meat counter. Believing himself a failure in each of these three respects, The Ram returns to the life he knows: that of a pro wrestler in a rematch with the Ayatollah, even though he is aware that it could cost him his life.

The movie has realistically effective scenes of the life of pro wrestlers, of their cameraderie and of the pain they endure even during staged matches, and of their fans. The scenes of the wrestling world are matched by the scenes in the strip club, with Cassidy in both her toughness and her vulnerability. The Ram is shown living alone in his shabby trailer, continuing his training, showing a substantial degree of introspection, and trying futily to make amends to his daughter. The characters and their environs are portrayed effectively, and both Rourke and Tomei give convincing performances.

In addition to the Simon and Garfunkel song and to Bukowski, there are parallels to this movie in "Raging Bull" in "Rocky" and in other movies. The plot may be simple but it remains effective. The acting, the realistic atmosphere, and the quest by the two main characters to find meaning in life in harsh circumstances make this DVD memorable.

Robin Friedman

Mickey Rourke deserved the best actor oscar for his performance in The Wrestler. It's so nice to have him back. Overall the film is a sad story but a definite "must-see".

This is the best low-budget movie I've seen in a long time. At first I was put off by the camera-following-behind style, thinking "What a copout." But then I realized it added to the realism of the story. Professional wrestling may be fake, but the movie shows that there are serious hazards to this sport that are anything but fake. Of course, It is just a movie, but I'm pretty convinced that these portrayed hazards really exist. (injuries, razor blade cutting, etc.). There are a lot of moments where there is no real dialogue, which just adds to the depressing vibe of certain scenes. You really feel sorry for the main character played by Rourke, who does a fantastic job. Some of the wrestling moves it is clear that Rourke performs himself--no stunt double. Impressive there, too.

I'm sure there are hundreds of has-been entertainers that can relate to Rourke's character, whether they're rock stars, wrestlers, actors, etc. A real eye-opener to young people who have ambitions in those areas of profession--prepare yourself for retirement early!

The only part of the movie I didn't like is the ending--a big disappointment. But overall, an enjoyable watch.

The Wrestler is a very effective and real depiction of the life of a down-on-his-luck wrestler years after his heyday. Although darkly depressing, this movie is multi-faceted and includes elements of dark humor, drama and an almost documentary realism.

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you already know most of the story. Mickey Rourke is former wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He holds on to wrestling because the memory of the glory days is all he has left. He is completely estranged from his daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood, who resents him for neglecting her for his career. His most intimate human relationship is with a stripper, played by Marisa Tomei, who probably only sees him as another tip. And to hold his crumbling life together, he uses drugs, alcohol and every form of escapism he can find.

While the basic story and the script for this movie are familiar territory, the way the movie tells that story is what sets it apart. This is almost an art movie hidden within a mainstream movie. All of the characters have simple lines that sometimes can border on cliché, but those things seem to be to have larger symbolic meanings. As the story develops, we see the relationships between the characters develop and evolve.

We also get some insight into the lives of semi-professional and professional wrestlers. The issues of drug abuse are dealt with candidly. The small tricks of the trade that they employ in order to make their shows more entertaining are sometimes difficult to watch. Even a "fake" wrestling bout can be physically devastating to the human body.

Those who are easily offended by gratuitous nudity or violence should steer clear of this. Similarly, those looking for a tale of redemption should be prepared for a very dark and gritty story. I think there is redemption here, of a sort, but this is definitely not your typical feel good comeback movie.

I can understand those who wanted to see more of Ram's descent, yet I think the shock of seeing him down and out is much more impactful without the linear plot showing us how we got there. When we are down and out in life, don't we always ask ourselves "how did I get here?" Had the movie shown us how he got there, it would have lessened our ability to ask that question like Ram had to of asked himself a few times. I can also understand why some would have wanted his relationships to be fleshed out a little more. Personally, I think the way it was done makes it easier to see how isolated Ram has become from everybody in his life.

The only disappointments I have with this movie is that the standard DVD was set at a list of $30 and there are no special features. Here they give us the standard audio commentary and subtitle options but none of the extras I look forward to watching. I would have loved to learn more about the locations throughout New Jersey as well as the various elements that went into making the movie. I would also have enjoyed to see interview footage with the wrestlers who were extras in this movie. The list of potential features is almost limitless and here we got nothing. I can't help be a little bit disappointed that a film that was listed at "Blu-ray" prices included nothing more than some previews and standard commentary.

CONCLUSION

Those who like dramas with dark realism will definitely find this movie worth their while. I wish they would have included more with the disk but if you haven't seen this yet it is well worth watching.


Enjoy.

I think it was a solid acted movie! You dont see too many movies about wrestling, and Im not even a wrestling fan, but I was very impressed with Mickey Rourke in this one. He turned in a stunning performance.

The Wrestler holds up to all the hype and acclaim. Rourke does a masterful job conveying his character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler struggling to make a comeback, both in his life and in the ring. The choices he makes over the course of the film reveal his flaws, but moreso his humanity. I found myself rooting for him until the bitter end, despite the sense of dread that comes with watching a downward spiral accelerate.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of Darren Aronofsky taking on a project like this. His previous films like Pi and Requiem for a Dream were complex, but psychologically exhausting to watch, and his most recent attempt before The Wrestler was The Fountain, which was exquisitely beautiful at times, but generally obtuse overall. After seeing The Wrestler, I completely get it. Aronofsky does a brilliant job of presenting emotional complexity in way that rarely translates on screen. I can see his signature all over the wrestling sequences in particular.

This film is not uplifting. It painful to watch for many different reasons, emotionally draining, and occasionally cringe-worthy during some particularly brutal (not gory, just brutal) wrestling sequences. It may also make you cry up at the end.

Despite that, I hope everyone sees it. The Wrestler is truly stellar.