The Wrestler: DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review (2009)

Mickey Rourke is back in a major way in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler.” Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, which he lost to Sean Penn, Rourke at last rises to the full potential some thought he’d never reach due to a long stretch of self-destructive behavior offscreen.

The movie also delivers a terrific turn by Marisa Tomei, who rightfully was nominated for her supporting role as a stripper on the other side of youth who is trying to secure a life for herself and her 9-year-old son while in the throes of middle age. She’s just as transfixing as Rourke, so free in the role, she loses herself to it, in spite of (or because of) the sheer amount of nudity involved.

This messy tale of a life on the ropes (literally and figuratively) is told cleanly and powerfully, with Aronofsky building tension and emotion not by leaning on gimmicks, but by developing his characters into people we come to care about. Skirting the typical sports movie cliches the film courts isn’t easy, but for the most part, it succeeds in doing so. No character here has it easy, but they keep pushing forward in spite of the obstacles in front of them. If that doesn’t ring true to the current American experience, I’m not sure what does, and that immediacy helps to infuse “The Wrestler” with its unexpected reservoirs of power.

Working to that end is Rourke, who once quit acting for a professional career in boxing. At the time, that decision seemed ludicrous. Now, it seems almost prescient. His athleticism in the ring is the real thing. So is his performance, which is so authentic, it will be the rare person who forgets his character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson.

Grade: A