MOVIE REVIEW - The Wrestler

The Wrestler is out now in sort of wide release, has a few nominations to it's credit, and is has been touted as the comeback of Mickey Rourke. Huh? The comeback of Mickey Rourke? Have we been waiting for this?

The Wrestler is a chilling, raw, gritty piece starring Rourke as "Randy The Ram" a professional wrestler from the mid 1980's, when pro wrestling was really starting to become HUGE business. It's it now 20 plus years later, he's older, tired, broken down, and has problems a plenty, trying to survive in the wrestling world still. Randy has never grown up, and has blown every opportunity presented to him recently through self-destruction. He's a nice enough guy, he's just a broken down shell of a wrestler that he once was. He has wandered though life with no plan, or vision for life after wrestling. Randy has mistakenly believed the crowds would never turn on him and the money and fame would always be there for the taking - forever.

He befriends a stripper, "Cassidy" (Marissa Tomei) who herself passed her stripping prime 10 years ago. She too is surviving in a world that has grown up without her tagging along. Randy has a grown daughter that doesn't care much for him or his irresponsible way of life. The Wrestler walks us through Randy's journey to try to reclaim some of the "glory" from his life 2o years ago in the wrestling ring, that we learn in the long run has not been good to him. He is also desperate for someone in his life, thus the attempted reconnect with his daughter, and a love interest in Cassidy.

The Wrestler is certainly interesting film making. It's shot in sort of a docu-drama format. There's no narration, but sometimes it has that feel of a PBS special and a movie combined into one. To it's credit, it's a very honest look as a very dishonest "sport." It's raw, edgy, gritty, and very palpable at times, and those are all good things. Rourke is strong as our hero, and the fact that he's been out of the spotlight himself, makes him very believable in this role. Tomei, again is perfectly cast, and really takes huge risks with her lack of wardrobe for most of her moments on screen.

But after looking at all the positives and there are many, The Wrestler to me in a word? Overrated. There's nothing terribly wrong here, there's just nothing over the top right either. I like honest movies and The Wrestler is one. But this movie only possesses the elements of being good, not being great. It is a solid movie, not a great one as Hollywood would have you believe. Although, if you are of the age now that can walk back to the mid 80's when wrestling was a big part of your life, this movie will speak directly to you and you will connect.

The Wrestler. Good. Not Great.