the wrestler

too many good reviews can sometimes be a good thing
here making an unappealing subject an appealing film
american pro-wrestling not at all anything i give time to
just too contrived, primal, manipulated, senseless for my liking
when i heard about this film the first reaction was to steer clear
but there's been unanimous positive reviews and academy awards
on this night in this town there's a limited choice of films
so the prejudices are sidelined and the mind is opened
the film itself opens with an overview of the main man
randy 'the ram' robinson at the top of his game 20 years earlier
a long scan of newspaper clippings revealing his past glories
so cleverly no need to waste time and effort portraying early days
for it's the here and now that this film is concerned with
he's still trying to eek out a living as a professional
mickey rourke well beefed up and very muscular
looking very much the part of a wrestler past his prime
giving out advice and receiving respect from his companions
also some scenes of the wrestlers planning matches
then pushing things to the physical edge in the bouts
giving the small crowds value for money for their entertainment $
he's quite sweet on a stripper in a local club played by marisa tomei
there are some parallels here too - she also at the end of her career
and a clear reminder that especially in america work is mandatory
in this case both using and punishing their bodies for the crowds
the ram pushes it too far and ends up in hospital after a heart attack
is advised to give it all away and he wisely takes this advice
but he finds it difficult to operate in the real world
he is forced to take whatever part time work is available
with some quite funny scenes in a supermarket deli
he decides to make contact with the daughter he abandoned
her initial and sad reaction is in turn to reject his overtures
then in some touching scenes they are drawn close and all seems good
but then rejection by cassidy the stripper affects him profoundly
leading to him again messing up the relationship with his daughter
and a decision to once again return to his comfort zone in the ring
so it's a very simple storyline at work in this film
this is a good thing in this no-nonsense story
everything that happens is quite believable
my thinking this could be an american foreign film
slice of life stuff without the gloss or glamour
though the climax had me squirming a bit in my seat
there's just a couple of naff lines that spoil it
him - i don't want to be out there alone in the real world
her - but i'm here now - i mean - i'm really here now
not so much the lines but the delivery falling a bit flat
and then the film wraps quite unexpectedly and without resolution
ah - but - intentionally or not (doubt it) setting up for the wrestler 2
the cynic in me seeing strong parallels with the rocky series
from memory the first in that series was a good film too