By Jon Rushing
If you’re a fan professional wrestling, Mickey Rourke’s latest work “The Wrestler” might be a bit misleading. This isn’t your Monday Night Raw-type of film – “The Wrestler,” directed by Darren Aronofsky, begins 20 years after the height of fictional pro-wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s career and lets the viewer follow Randy in the upcoming months leading up to his big comeback match.
Mickey Rourke does an amazing job as Randy “The Ram” Robinson. The buzz heard before the showing at the Savannah Film Festival is definitely fitting for his performance. Never has a wrestler seemed so human and down to earth as “The Ram.” Whether he’s playing Nintendo with the local kids, trying to date a stripper or reconnecting with his daughter, Mickey Rourke really gives the viewer an Oscar-worthy performance.
While the direction is tame for Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream,” “Pi”), his simple touches like the audible feedback from The Ram’s hearing aid, his artful rather than excessive use of quick cuts and his use of hand-held cameras to create mood build a film worth seeing, even if you’re not a pro wrestling fan.
