THE WRESTLER [2008] review
January 12, 2009 · Print This Article
In my memory the character of Randy “The Ram” Robinson in THE WRESTLER is unique in movies I have seen in being an awful person to a lot of people while at the same time being a helluva nice guy to a lot of people. At least in the way he goes about it. The Ram is a professional wrestler that just never quit mentally, although his body started quitting on him a long time ago, although you might not tell that right away by looking at him. Superficially he appears to still be in great shape. The entertainment of the movie comes from getting deeper inside Ram the character, physically and emotionally.
The Ram of course has charisma, and can be quite the charmer. He can also be a great fatherly figure. So why does he have no relationship with his daughter? I do not really know. He is great with kids in his neighborhood. He is a mentor to budding professional wrestlers, offering sage advice and giving constant encouragement. The poor bastard tries hard, but cannot help tripping over his own feet.
Outside the ring, The Ram is just Robin. He tries hard to fit in, even making a deli counter job into a bit of a circus with his natural charisma, but like most things, that soon dead ends for him.
His only life is in the ring. He says of himself something like, “I am just an old, broken down piece of meat.” He needs the energy of the crowd to give him any juice, any life. THE WRESTLER borders on being the type of movie I cannot stand, that being a movie that only shows people’s miserable lives. There are enough touching moments though to keep it from crossing that line.
And the ending of the moving is quite touching, once you realize who The Ram’s true family really are.
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You’re right that it’s a touching ending- left me feeling torn. Part of me respects the choice he made at the end- while another part sees it as almost the easy way out, the devil he knows- rather than really making the effort to change.
But- he does try to change. He’s just addicted to the love of the crowd. He’s chased it all his life- turned off his family and any kind of meaningful relationships for it. Perhaps it was just too late for him to change. That’s sad- because he could have had something good, and much more real, if he’d just been able to suck it up and make it work.
Great movie- definitely brings that mixed feeling to the fore.
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