The Wrestler-Best Movie 2008 (however I'm seeing Slumdog tomorrow)
I have been deeply effected by only a few few films, and trust me, I've have seen them all, so the following short list are serious films that have serious messed with my mind. I'm not talking about horror films like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or tearjerkers like "Good Will Hunting." While both great on their own, they offer short term feeling. I'm talking about films that gave me deep visceral reactions and that made me question who I am, where I'm going and what the fuck I'm I doing with my life.
In all three of these film, I saw alot of myself in the lead characters, and their actions either scared or inspired me. The first film is "The Gambler" (no, not with Kenny Rogers but "Ruby" is a classic), which made sure I'd never gamble on sports.* Watching the film made me realize that sports gamblers don't really want to win-they just want to gamble and experience the thrill of living on the edge. Losing is more important than actually winning. It's a frightening film and I saw a alot of James Caan's character in every one of my friends that bet with bookies. I made sure that would never be me not matter how much I understood The Gambler's action were. The film shows addict behavior better than any drug film I've seen-onto drugs...
"The Boost" with James Woods and Sean Young is equally scary and absolutely made sure I'd never do coke. The film strength is in showing addiction's power over it's victims not in how low an addict will go to get a high but in how no matter how "high" the addict life is, the drug will drag them down to life's lowest depths. I have spent the last 20 years not only avoiding doing coke, but even being in the same room with it. Let just say I see parts of myself, literally, in each of the prior film's lead characters and in ever one of their situations. Had I started gambling or blowing lines, I certainly would have become just like them. It reminds me of the old adage "Know thyself." I know myself and I know freebase and parlays and would not be good this writer.
The third film is "Fight Club" and unlike the other two film where I avoided it's character's vices, this movie made me embrace a part of my inner self. It's best parts were not it's bonecrushing or it's lust for blood but for it's character's need to reject societies standards for success and fulfillment. The film best moments criticize the cubicle worklife and the Ikea filled apartment dwelling sheep we've become. It hits my inner rebellious streak-right on the nose. The film begs you to say fuck it-go do what you want not the world wants you to do. I can't tell you how many times I discussing with co-workers, quitting our jobs and leaving to live the "easy life" of our choosing. My version of that life is the second act of the Tom Cruise's opus "Cocktail." Quit my job, move to the Caymans (no Jamaica) and tend bar. Am I doing it? Hell no, my rebellion has become this blog.
And so, onto The Wrestler, which was like all those films in their effect or me-but even more so...
The "review" of the film, starts and ends with the performance of Mickey Rourke. He is "The Wrestler"-the entirety of the film. There is an expected plot, familiar cinematography from '90 indie films and a shockingly acute eye for detail but the is film centers and completely weighs on Rourke's performance. It not so surprising to hear that director Darren Aronofsky chose and went to war for Rourke as opposed to the produce's choice-Nic Cage (can you image?) He knew Mickey was right for the role and his and the role life story were mirror images of one another. His choice was risky but Aronofsky is a risk taker. His gamble paid off big.
If you know me, you know that I 'm a hugh Mickey Rourke fan. However, I honestly wasn't expecting the world from this film. I' ve been waiting for the big Mickey comeback for years but he's a ways been a hugh disappointment. I seen him in countless movies and although he was always a presence, it was rarely because he was acting. Sure, the roles sucked, and he knew it and hence there were always charactures not characters. I was expecting to be disappointed, based on my own high expectations and on initial film reviews, but the opposite happpened. Rourke nailed every scene and there wasn't a scene wasted or untrue. He was the Ram and I felt deeply for him. I've heard some criticism that the film's plot has conventional story lines (the daughter, the stripper) but they was only conventional because it based on characters like the Ram-real wresters have lived that kind of life. Ram's life was that story-it's not a cliche.
So why did this movie effect me so much? Well, beyond my love of wrestling from may days as a youth and sheer power of the lead's ups and downs, the film really is about regret. "The Wrestler" starts with newsclipplings from the Ram's peak at the top of wrestling and then the film show his lowly afterlife as a loser living in a trailer home. Ram's potential was not doubt high but eventually wasted or thrown away. Where to? Up his nose? In the hand of hangers on? Hookers? Who knows, but not in the hands of his daughter. So, then what has my own potential given me? What do I regret? Where am I as I write this? Not where I want to be but I won't speak of exactly where I am next the the Ram. It's just too close-although I do have a laptop...
However, a movie is just a movie and though Rourke's career once parallels that of the Ram's, he today is still standing and is now winning awards. I also am also in "good shape." I hope my "finale" goes as well as the actor ot "The Wrestler." You see, no one can tell me the Aronofsky didn't know that this film would revitalize Mickey Rourke's career. So no matter how much a downer on the face of it, "The Wrestler"'s ultimate message,\ for me is redemption. Aronofsky and has pulled it off. Let see what I can do!
Towards the end of the film, I began to question my love for the "sport" of wrestling and I asked were have your my heroes gone? Where is Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "Rocking'" Don Moroco and Sgt. Slaughter? Had there lives ended like Randy "the Ram" and what place did I take part? I love those men and always will but I worry about them.
In the end, Springsteen wrote the film's title track and in it he wrote "have you ever scene a one pick pony , then you've seen me." Curbside all the way. Rourke's Randy "The Ram" embodied that line and his performance was lived. He internalized the character and then given back to us, Micky's career mimics Ram's. Director Aronosky saw that and put it on film-genius!
Porrly written by me!
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