The Wrestler
Winner of 'Golden Lion'
2008 Venice Film Festival
Mickey Rourke Is Back
Ron Smith
Randy “The Ram” Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke, is a professional wrestler who was at the top of his game 20 years ago. He wears glasses and a hearing aid, and has the same long bleached hair that Gorgeous George would have been proud to sport. He’s still a crowd pleaser and a generally likeable guy.
Opening scene: Randy is in the ring beating the hell out of some guy and getting the same back. He’s at the bottom of his game. He still loves it.
In his off time he chases an older stripper played by Marisa Tomei. He considers her a girlfriend, to her he’s a customer. He lives in a trailer when he can get the rent money together, which isn’t often. He has a young daughter who barely knows him and she doesn’t want him around. Just when you think things couldn’t possibly get worse. They do. Randy is faced with the fact that he must give up wrestling or maybe die. Wrestling is his life, his identity, without it he’s nothing.
He takes a job at a deli making sandwiches. Finally, he can’t stand it anymore.
He has a chance at a rematch with his old nemesis “The Ayatollah.” He has to make some tough decisions about his future. Did he make the right one?
If you like your steak well done then you won’t like this movie. There's plenty of raw meat and blood to go around.
This movie is raw, gritty, down and dirty, real life, and very entertaining. The acting is good, the story is good. Marissa looks great. Micky is back, big time. Rourke, get the tux ready.
Rourke looks to be in great shape and according to his bio he was made for this role. Interesting Facts | Kim Basinger once called him "The Human Ashtray".Arrested by the LAPD and charged with spousal abuse. [July 1994]Used to own a gym in West Hollywood called Shapiro.Walked off the set of Luck Of The Draw (2000) when the producersrefused to let him include his pet Chihuahua in the movie. [August 1999]Was rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A. His reps said it was for an allergic reaction to cough syrup he was taking to battle the flu. Rourke was released a few hours later. [19 April 1999]Grew up in the tough Miami area known as Liberty City.As an amateur boxer, put together a knockout streak of 12 straight.Used to co-own a very tiny soda fountain/ice cream/magazine stand in Beverly Hills with his hairdresser pal Giuseppe Franco called Mickey & Joey's |
Synopsis
Back in the late ‘80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of die hard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life -- trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a blossoming romance with an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) who is ready to start a new life. Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy “The Ram” back into his world of wrestling.
Cast and Credits
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Produced by: Scott Franklin, Darren Aronofsky
Release: December 17, 2008
The Wrestler Trailer
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