~ In the ring ~ (The Wrestler (DVD))

Member Name: blackmagicstar4

Product:	The Wrestler (DVD)
Date:	06/11/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great storyline, good characters, emotional

Disadvantages: none

~ In the Ring ~


The Wrestler has been released for a while now and last weekend I had a chance to watch it. I have wanted to see this since it was released on DVD but was not too sure if it would be any good. This Friday as my boyfriend was on call we decided to go to blockbuster and rented a few films for the evening. We both had not seen it and thought it looked pretty good. The idea of a film being based around wrestling was a bit of an off put but I used to be a slight fan when I was younger of the WWF wrestling. I remember sitting watching my favourite 'The Rock' and thought that the film could be quite interesting. The plot sounded relatively good and the fact that we have just brought a new tele and PS3 which has surround sound and buy-ray we wanted to test how good it was. The cover is quite simple but effective. It doesn't give much away and has a sinister picture of Mickey Rourke who plays the man character. You can tell he is a wrestler but nothing else is shown.
I had not heard of the director before but was sure he had done a few films I had seen, but I did recognise several actors names including, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachael Wood. Mickey Rourke who plays wrestler Randy the Ram has had a career in boxing which made the film seem more realistic and intriguing. He has experience of sport and what it is like to succeed and fail.
I did not have a certain expectation of the film beforehand but was hoping it would be good as I have heard from several people that it was worth a watch.

~ INFO ~

Director- Darren Aronofsky
Darren is an American director and I have not heard of him before. After researching him I have found that he has only directed about five films in total and two of these include- 'The Fountain' 2006 and 'Requiem for a dream' 2000, never I have seen.

Writers- Robert Siegel
Released- 16 Jan 2009 (UK)
Runtime- 109 Mins
Certificate- 15


~ PLOT ~
Randy was a successful wrestler in the eighties and was famous for his work as 'Randy the Ram'. Twenty years on when he is shown to still wrestle but does not have the fame anymore. He struggles to find fights and as the times have changed many people are not interested in middle aged wrestlers. Randy has had quite a tough time. He is now living in a trailer which we see he cannot afford and gets chucked out a few nights.

Pictures of The Wrestler (Blu-ray)

The Wrestler (Blu-ray)He has big money issues and tries finding extra factory work. He tries to


Keep his passion for wrestling going as he seems to have no family or life outside the ring. Even though he experiences a dramatic life experience he continues his work.
Randy disowned his daughter and tries to build a relationship with her again. Even though some aspects of his life are good, he still drinks a lot and is seen doing drugs and going to strip clubs. We see him try to get on with life; he tries a new relationship and carries on his passion for his sport, even though this could cause deadly outcomes.

~ CAST and CHARACTERS ~

Mickey Rourke - 'Randy the Ram'
Randy the Ram was a successful wrestler but now finds it hard to earn money. I found the character likeable and easy to follow. You feel his emotions and when something bad happens I felt really sorry for him. His character is interesting and could not have been played by anyone else.

Mickey has been acting since the early 1980's and now I have heard information I can recognise him in a few films. Some of these include- 'Domino' 2005, 'Sin City' 2005 and 'Man on Fire' 2004. He has won over twenty awards for his work and is also a writer. I think he is a quite a successful actor and I really enjoyed his role in 'The Wrestler'.
Alternate name- Sir Eddie Cook

Marisa Tomei - Cassidy
Cassidy is a stripper in the local club and has been a friend of Randy's for a long time. He goes to her when he needs someone to talk to and they seem quite close. She works to provide for her child and finds it hard to deal with Randy's affections.
I liked Cassidy and thought that she was suited for the part. She seemed mysterious and not a lot was given away about her at the start. Even though she is a mother and people in the club give her abuse for being older, she is still sassy and brings eye candy for the male viewers. She is caring, sweet but also stands up for herself and takes no crap from the customers.

Marisa has been in many films and I recognised her straight away. For those who don't some of her films include- 'Wild Hogs' 2007, 'Alfie' 2004 and 'The Guru' 2002.

Evan Rachael Wood - Stephanie

Stephanie is Randy's daughter who was disowned by him when she was young. She has her own life and is negative toward him when he finds her. She shows no respect for him and you can tell that he had hurt her very badly. At the start she does not want to know and this breaks his heart. Even though they try a new relationship things go up and down. She is a strong minded woman and has done well in her life. I could connect with her role well and shared personal feelings she has toward her father.
Featured in- 'True Blood' 2009, 'Thirteen' 2003 and 'Practical Magic' 1998


Other actors-
Mark Margolis- Lenny
Todd Barry- Wayne
Wass Stevens- Nick Volpe
Judah Friedlander- Scott Brumberg
Ernest Miller- The Ayatollah


~ THE OUTCOME ~

NARRATIVE

The story was actually very interesting and it included many different events to keep you entertained. Even though the main character is a wrestler the film includes much more than just the sport. It has everything you need to attract a wide range audience- action, romance, comedy and violence. The main story of Randy's wrestling career is good and the supporting sub plots make it very diverse and exciting. The romance plot is quite sweet and you see a build of happiness for Randy. There is the sub plot of his relationship with his daughter which brings a different aspect to the film and then we see his life outside the ring. His drinking, living in a trailer and trying to earn money.

At first reading the plot reminded me of the film Rocky Balboa and I thought it was going to be similar to this. Even though they share themes this is a lot different.
The film runs smoothly and I didn't think it was too long or short. It had enough in it and I was watching with content all the way through. The ending was really good and even though it is annoying it leaves you thinking of questions. It provided you with no conclusion and I thought this was a good way to end it.


It is quite painful to watch the negatives in Randy's life. The fact he has no one around who cares about him. When he experiences a critical moment in his life he realises how important family are, he does not want to be alone and he is. His life does not include much at the start and he has a lot of downfalls including drink, drugs and always going to the strip club. I found it quite heartbreaking to see that he must be feeling so depressed. Even though he feels alone, you can see that he is respected by many and seen as a legend by some. The local kids love him and the other wrestlers think he is very talented. They all greet him with total respect.

THEMES
- Whatever makes you happy? This is a clear moral in the story. There are several parts where it shows that it doesn't matter what you do in life, it is too short and as long as you are happy that is all that is important. Randy shows that he is happy being a wrestler and even pushes his health to continue his happiness. There is passion shown and it this is a good moral to convey to viewers.


- Family. Father and daughter relationships. There is a strong theme of family in the film. It shows how important they are to you and how relationships can come together and grow apart. This section of the movie was quite personal to me. It shows that Randy has not seen his daughter for years and does not have a good relationship with her. I share the shame with my father and do not see him. I found myself wondering and comparing my feelings to daughter Stephanie this made me feel involved in the story. Maybe others can relate to this to in similar ways?


ACTING
The acting was shown really well. Mickey plays his part superbly and all the supporting actors give their best. I think that no characters were out of place and all the actors fitted their roles. I really liked 'Randy the Ram' and even though you know he has not done the best and can sometimes do unpleasant things, you still find yourself feeling sorry for him. The character does not have a privileged lifestyle and when he shows he is at his lowest it made me feel quite concerned. Even though I am not a big crier at films this did make me teary a few times. He just plays his role so well and you feel involved in his life.

Most of the characters in the movie are likeable. Cassidy was sweet to watch and even though his daughter Stephanie has a hard time with him you do feel for her. I also liked some of the other wrestlers. They brought humour to the piece and made it quite absorbing to watch. The different actors were really good and it helps build with Randy's character.


FILMING and LOCATIONS
There are many different sets and locations which were pleasant to see. Most of the main parts were shown at the ring, in Randy's trailer or at the local strip club. Other than this there are some small scenes including a beach and abandoned pier, the gym and Stephanie's apartment. I like films which have good locations which vary. Most of the filming was done in New Jersey and it does have a very American feel to the shots.

OVERALL

Overall I thought that it was one of the best films I have seen for a while. It had everything in it and kept me well entertained and focused. I enjoyed the different characters and thought that the story was brilliant.
I would certainly recommend it with flying colours and may buy the DVD. It is certainly worth a watch so if you do not want to buy it rent it out! I would rate this film a 5/5.


~ EXTRAS ~

DVD BLUE RAY

The blue ray DVD was really good and you can certainly notice the difference. The sound was sharp and the picture was in such detail. My boyfriend was really impressed and would not shut up about it! I think we will be getting blue rays from now on.
You can buy the DVD from major superstores and websites. Play.com offers the DVD in blue ray at- £12.99 and on normal DVD at the price of £6.99. .

The blue ray includes these special features-
* Inside The Ring Featurette
* Interview with Mickey Rourke
* Theatrical Trailer


The film has a rotten tomato rating of- 98%

Website- www.thewrestlermovie.com/

Blackmagicstar4- NOV 09

Summary: fab film!