Posted:
#1
This should be on everyone's MUST SEE list. A lot of people, including my girlfriend, don't want to see this because it's a movie about professional wrestling. But, as a character study, this movie is one of the best I've seen in a really long time.
Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an 80's iconic wrestler who's fallen on tough times. He's broke, his health is deteriorating, his daughter won't speak to him, and his only saving grace is wrestling in small bingo halls in front of a handful of fans. I don't want to give too much away in the way of plot but rather what makes this movie so powerful.
Mickey Rourke's performance is one for the ages. You want to feel for the guy, and yet, you despise him at the same time. Darren Aranofsky's POV camera angles make you feel and experience Randy's broken-down life one step at a time. There are scenes that are so powerful that I was almost brought to tears when interacting with his daugher and trying to make amends for years of avoidance.
Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood also give two very good performances but Rourke's role alone is worth the price of admission. You'll cheer for him, you'll curse his name, you'll even question how much of the movie is actually fake (much like professional wrestling). While wrestling fans may get more out of this than others, everyone should see this simply because it's an amazing film. Here are some interesting facts about the film also...
-Nicolas Cage was originally expected to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson instead of Mickey Rourke.
-Even though professional wrestling is fake and staged, Rourke had 3 MRIs within the first two months of shooting because of injury.
-Rourke did most of his own stunts in the film and trained 3-4 days a week with a professional wrestler to make it as real as possible.
-Bruce Springsteen wrote the original song for the movie simply based on a quick readthrough of the script and because Rourke was one of his personal friends.
HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND SEEING THIS FILM! You won't be sorry and maybe even moved at the same time.
Professional wrestling is fake but it's a lot more real than you think...
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