movie - the wrestler

some moviegoers will not like darren aronofsky's latest film, 'the wrestler,' because it portrays realistic characters on the fringes of society who do not live beautiful or glamorous lives. those watchers, (like the woman in my hair salon several weeks ago,) want to be entertained when they go to the movies, which is their prerogative. they want to be made to feel good.

however, the characters in the wrestler are not really all that far out there. robin, "randy the ram robinson," ramzinski, (mickey rourke,) is a wrestler at the end of his career. his marketable commodity is his modicum of renown associated with his glory days on the pro wrestling circuit. he parlays that familiarity with many wrestling fans to the modest financial rewards of continuing to wrestle and from that along with a part-time job in a supermarket, he can almost afford the rent on his trailer, his steroid drug habit and his penchant for spending much of his free time in a strip joint.

it is not pretty or even pleasant watching "the ram," as he has a profound life moment and through some reflection makes efforts to revisit some of his past failings both to make amends and to find a way to anchor his life and find meaning. his efforts to change do not go smoothly and so in the end, randy the ram arcs back to from where he came.

similarly, pam, "cassidy," (marisa tomei,) is past her prime as a stripper. she is also the mother of a nine-year-old boy. like randy the ram, cassidy's marketable commodity is her body and her looks and her willingness to strip and be pawed nightly in a seedy bar atmosphere. like randy too, time is taking a toll on her commodity and she too has a moment, albeit a less dramatic one. she is dancing up against a pole, spreading her legs wide and running her hand over her body, making a certain seductive facial expression when she realizes no one is watching her. no one in the club is appreciating her efforts and at once it is obvious this is an increasing phenomenon for cassidy.

aronofsky does not make films that do not have a larger point. even if the message is not his primary reason for making a movie, you can count on finding great truths exposed and explored in aronofsky's work. he is among the most interesting and innovative writer-directors working today.

humans are opportunistic as evidenced by the ram's willingness to wrestle and cassidy's willingness to strip. these two merely find their careers tolerable, like so many in our utilitarian society. this movie caused me to think about when i have tolerated my jobs. the higher i have ascended in my career the more tolerable the job has become but by and large i have always found aspects of my work either unpleasant or unsavory. (i mean you would have to be insane to enjoy talking to irate customers on the phone in the name of customer service, which is not to suggest people just this insane do not exist.)

the wrestler is about more than not liking one's job. it is about mortality and human connectedness. it is about responsibility and consequences, specifically as explored in the relationship between randy the ram and his daughter stephanie, (played by evan rachel wood in a remarkable performance.)

ultimately, randy the ram and cassidy may be ready for each other. they may be ready to make real life changes and to find anchor in one another. the problem would be in overcoming the multitude of impediments they face including randy's health and their individual histories which may define them and their actions.

much has been made of rourke's performance in a role that in some ways mirrors his life, (as well as resembling that of hulk hogan.) he is completely deserving of his best actor academy award nomination. it is a poignant role and rourke brings "the ram," to life with a subtle nuance that indicates a certain intimacy and familiarity with the character. he is never overwrought and even his wrestling/acting chops seem well honed.

maybe the wrestler is more than entertainment. maybe it is that mirror in which we can see the ram and cassidy in each of us. maybe we can learn from the tragic and become somehow healthier and more able to overcome our own demons.