It’s not often that near-perfect movies are made. Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a near-perfect movie. In somewhat of a departure from his earlier films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), Aronofsky offers a glimpse into the life of an aging pro wrestler, a glimpse so real and human that the line between fiction and documentary is hard to discern.
The Wrestler tells the story of Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a former professional wrestling superstar still trying to hold on to the glory days of the 1980s. His fame in the '80s, however, came at a price. He alienated his daughter, put his body through hell, filled it with poison, and now lives in a trailer park as he struggles to keep on living while still feeding his old addictions. “The Ram’s” only friend is a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), also an aging “star” in her profession trying to survive in a culture that increasingly rejects her.
Though the story is a bit cliché, reminiscent of the last couple installments of the Rocky franchise, it’s never been told quite like this. With Rocky, the audience knows the outcome ahead of time. The Wrestler keeps us guessing until the final credits start to roll. Along the way the audience is taken on the ups and downs that Randy “The Ram” experiences as he tries to find life outside the ring.
The uniqueness of this film comes through the parallels between Randy and Cassidy. Again, both are aging stars in industries that value youth and vitality. Both live double lives. Both exploit their bodies so they can feel loved and wanted. Both are empty and lonely, looking for fulfillment and rescue from their lives as they are. But neither really knows how to go about finding that fulfillment and rescue. Randy tries to hold blue collar jobs at a local grocer, first unloading trucks, then working behind the meat counter, but the appreciation he is given there, or isn’t given, simply does not compare to the thrills of screaming fans and chants of “Ram Jam, Ram Jam.” Cassidy is trying to earn and save enough money to buy a new condo, leaving the club and the adult industry behind in order to better provide for and take care of her growing son. She remains bound, however, to the club and the need to feel wanted by the men she dances for.
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