Wrestling for attention

The Wrestler (2008)

This was on telly yesterday and as I've already seen it twice I wasn't planning on watching it, but still I ended up watching throught it once more. That actually says a bit about the power of this movie, how captivating it is. I must say I was still at awe about Aronofsky's skill at handling drama. He makes huge things out of very little, but manages to avoid the soapyness and keeps it very realistic. I actually didn't like the melodrama insert where Randy (Mickey Rourke) tries to patch things up with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), it felt quite unnecessary as the movie's heart is in Randy's inability to change. We already see many examples of him trying to change and adapt to the mainstream so to say, but the daughter part took it a bit to the wrong direction. However it's a small detail as this movie is a devastating story about a man who is trapped in the past, though trapped might be the wrong word as he really doesn't want to let go of the past. His driving force is the fame he once enjoyed and he tries everything to get even a glimpse of the old glory. He is a human wreck but still easy to relate to, much because of the absolutely stunning performance by Mickey Rourke. And he surely deserves all the praise he has gotten from this movie, but also Marisa Tomei gives a performance of her life as the stripper. Those two are actually quite similar as both sell their bodies for whoever is willing to pay and both have the same problem that they are not at their prime anymore. The story in itself is actually not that special, even though it doesn't shy away from the darker sides of wrestling, it still takes some quite common and predictable routes, but the way it's handled makes this special. The brilliant cast and the direction by Aronofsky makes this a strong drama that can easily stand multiple viewings.
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