So the future Mrs. James and I decided to head out this Tuesday evening and go to the theatre. And finally after months of waiting, The Wrestler was finally showing near us! Read more for our throughts.

Being fans of wrestling, we both really wanted to see this movie. And being aware of the dark underbelly of the sport, we wanted to see if it was portrayed how it really is, or if it wasn’t going to be taken seriously. Let me tell you something, you will gain a new respect for the men and women who put their bodies on the line to keep the fans entertained. This film takes you and throws submerses you into the backstage world of pro wrestling from the first scene and doesn’t let you go throughout the whole movie. What will shock most people when they see this movie is how different the wrestlers are backstage compared to their in ring personalities. Keep in mind that the wrestlers in the movie are actual wrestlers. This is what they do for a living. And being a wrestling fan, I have seen 80% of these guys in action over the years.

Ok for those of you who don’t know anything about this movie, I will give you a short synopsis. Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson (real name Robin Ramzinski), who was a huge star in the pro wrestling world in the 80′s. But he is not 20 years past his prime and doing weekend shows around the New Jersey area to make extra money and to basically make ends meet. His weekday job is a stock guy at the local Acme food store, and he lives in a crappy trailer park. Week in and week out he is hitting the gym to stay in shape and also hitting the local strip club to visit his favorite dancer, stage-named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei).

Randy lives paycheck to paycheck, wrestling gig to wrestling gig. Mainly because he loves the sport but also because he knows that he is not cut out to do anything else in this world.  You see, Randy is cut from a rare breed of man. He lives for the fans and will do anything to keep them entertained. Even if this means going through some hellish matches that involve bare wire, staple guns, and broken glass. Randy is a vet of the sport and is treated as such every time he arrives backstage at a show. The other wrestlers treat him with respect and always call him sir.

To the fans, it’s all glitz and glamour. To the wrestlers, it’s a constant struggle to make a living and try to stand taller then the rest of the crowd. This is made aparent when Randy is contacted about doing a rematch with one of his greatest rivals ‘The Ayatolla”. Being in rough shape with bad knees, aching muscles, and nagging pains; Randy meets with a fellow wrestler to obtain some enhancement products. HGH to increase his muscle size, Vicadin for pain, and various other illegle medications just so he can be in top shape for his big match. He has no gripe about taking these because he knows he needs every little bit to keep going.

This film is much more then just a story about a has been wrestler. It is an emotional roller coaster that makes you laugh, cry, and feel every single thing that Randy goes through. You feel like you are watching a documentary about a man who is struggling to keep going in a world which has largely forgotten him. From his failed relationship with his daughter to his inability to be able to blend in with the real world, Randy’s pain is your pain.  He doesn’t just play a character, Mickey Rourke takes this role and becomes Randy “The Ram” Robinson.

I keep trying to sum this movie up in some way, but there is so much going on throughout the film that it is impossible to put all the emotions into words. Take 2 hours out of your week, go to the theatre, and see this film. I guarentee that when you leave the theatre, you will look back on this article and agree that no words could do it justice. You have to feel the emotions for yourself.

Questions? Comments? Please feel free to email me or leave a comment below. Thank you all for reading, and do not miss this one. It’s a winner in every aspect.

This entry was posted by James on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 at 12:38 am and is filed under Entertainment, Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.