At one point in his career, Mickey Rourke was spoken of as an
actor in the same league as Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. Rourke even held his
own with DeNiro when they co-starred in Alan Parker’s Angel Heart. But then came
the downward spiral--and I’m not going to waste any time here describing how and
why Rourke’s career slumped as badly as it did. But the fact remained that he
was always a great actor--and, as an actor, he was always a personal favorite of
mine--and when director Robert Rodriguez cast him as Marv in Sin City, nobody
was more happier than me to see Rourke back acting in a big budget film once
more. However, Sin City was too esoteric for the mainstream press--who just
couldn’t be bothered with something that was done with imagination--and it
promptly flew under their radar--as did Rourke’s return to the big leagues.
It wasn’t until several years after Sin City, when director Darren Aronofsky
cast Rourke in the title role in The Wrestler, that the rest of the world
finally noticed that Rourke was back--but that his talent was never truly gone.
As "The Ram," Rourke plays a washed-up professional wrestler who’s seen better
days--specifically the 1980s, when he was a top draw at major wrestling matches.
These days, the down on his luck Ram lives in a New Jersey trailer park as he
tries to relive his glory by playing low-rent wrestling matches at convention halls
and signing autographs for fans with other has-been wrestlers at various
gatherings. He works part time in a supermarket for a little runt of a boss and
can still just barely pay his bills.
When he’s informed by a promoter that the twentieth anniversary of a famous match is coming up, the Ram jumps at the chance for a re-match, thinking it’ll reignite his career. Rourke is marvelous as the Ram, a man who doesn’t want to let go of past glory, but is afraid to face the mistakes of his past--such as how he abandoned his now teenage daughter (well played with fiery disappointment by Evan Rachel Wood). He finds solace in Cassidy, a stripper who initially treats him as just another customer, until she realizes that they share a lot more in common than the fact that they both hang out at the same strip joint. Marisa Tomei is equally superb as Cassidy; she plays her stripper character to the hilt, unafraid of nude scenes, and also unafraid to bare the soul of an older woman who’s struggling to getting used to rejection in her job because of her age.
Aronofsky directs The Wrestler with a realistic, no-nonsense style that shuns any soap opera theatrics. It’s the performances, along with the great script, that holds your attention. Although Aronofsky treats the wrestling world with respect, without giving into any of its self-manufactured hyperbole, one doesn’t really have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this film--because it’s mainly about the journey of a worn-out man who’s coming to the realization that he must make a major sea change in his life, and Rourke is just so perfect in this part that it’s heartbreaking to watch. You cheer for him, as well as Cassidy, as they valiantly fight their own private battles, which prove to be far more meaningful than the skirmishes fought within the wrestling ring. The Wrestler provides both Rourke and Tomei, a pair of marvelous actors both, a wonderful showcase in which to shine.
--SF
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