The Wrestler (2008)
How wrestling is both fake and real at the same time.
Presentation:
It’s a bit of a stretch to call this a sports film as the competition in entertainment wrestling is not real. This film investigates the phenomenon of Kayfabe, how wrestling can be both fake and real at the same time. It’s a documented phenomenon that despite not having a real contest or physical fighting, the contest to book more shows and feign injuries are just as real if not more dangerous. Darren Aronofsky utilizes his typical gritty filmic look with a psychological perspective and the performance from Mickey Rourke is perfectly fitting especially if you know his past history.
Conclusion:
A decent and psychological film as always from the Harvard director, but it seems as though this film was practice for Black Swan, which has much better ideas. It’s just not as relatable or subversive as his other films, opting to go for a more personal docudrama approach to his storytelling. I simply couldn’t connect with any of the characters or the story, but that doesn’t mean you’ll wrestle with the same problems.
Recommendations
A deceptively smug lesson.