Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
Rating: R

Mickey Rourke as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler. (Courtesy photo)

If the main character of The Wrestler were a child or a cute furry animal, it would probably be too painful to watch. But with worked-over Mickey Rourke in the lead, it’s grimly fascinating. Darren Aronofsky has filmed an unforgivingly intimate character study of an aging wrestling star trying to keep his career alive. But the line between the character and the actor is one big blur. Rourke is sensational, and Robert D. Siegel’s script manages to barrel straight through stereotypes to find honesty—sometimes beautiful, more often excruciating. As a character study, The Wrestler suffers a common problem: the plot tends to feel more necessary than illuminating. The partnership of Rourke and Aronofsky makes it work, even when it might have worked better.

Randy “The Ram” Robinson was a huge wrestling star in the 1980s. Twenty years later he’s still hanging on, and the regimen is brutal. Constantly stretching, releasing little groans, Randy is like a worn old inner tube ready to burst. He’s also a sweet, supportive and beloved veteran to the younger wrestlers. Outside the ring, life is much less grand. Randy is barely getting by, having failed to pay the rent on his trailer yet again. What little money he makes wrestling and grabbing hours at a supermarket he spends at the strip club where Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) works. There’s also his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). When Randy has a heart attack after a particularly brutal bout, he takes a stab at piecing together a meaningful life outside of wrestling.

It’s surprising how clichéd The Wrestler is, especially in terms of the two women. It helps that such strong actresses handle the roles, but Siegel’s script digs a little deeper than most. Sure, the hooker with a heart of gold has merely been replaced with a stripper, but it works. Both put their near-naked bodies on display, and both are nearing the moment when they must give it up. All of which helps us buy the idea of the stunning Tomei entertaining the idea of a deeper relationship with Randy. Rourke deserves the attention he’s receiving. The only head-scratcher is that they’re calling this his resurrection. Yes, Rourke took a dive for more than a decade after becoming one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the ’80s. But the comeback started in 2006, when he walked away with Sin City. Rourke should have received awards for his joyful muscle head, and it was most likely only the easily dismissible nature of that film that kept him from receiving them. A friend recently said of Marisa Tomei that she was derided for her unexpected Oscar 16 years ago, and has spent most of her career since earning it many times over. I loved her in My Cousin Vinny, even if an Oscar was a little much, and I think she’s terrific again here. Tomei is simply too attractive to pull off the aging part of her character, but that’s the only drawback of her performance. Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe) might have played Stephanie at one shrill note, but she finds enough variation to fill out the thinnest role of the three.

The best moments in The Wrestler are all little ones, and they’re sprinkled throughout the film. Like the way Cassidy affectionately deflects Randy’s overtures, or how “The Ram” and his opponents share a pre-bout hug. Aronofsky’s camera never goes easy on Randy, but it doesn’t play the traditional voyeur either. It remains almost neutral, keeping itself out of the story as much as possible. That’s not easy to do, and it’s a significant part of why The Wrestler works. Just shy of one of the best films of the year, The Wrestler is nonetheless a powerful character study of a good-hearted screw-up.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.