October 14, 2008

New York Film Festival 2008

by Ari

The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)

The problem I’ve had with the previous two films by Darren Aronofsky is that his execution doesn’t match his ambition. The most debated of his work is obviously his 2006 spiritual love story The Fountain, a film with a ton of interesting ideas that never coalesces into the profound existential experience it strives for. At least not for me. I’ve read several intriguing defenses for The Fountain, some of which are rather brilliant pieces of analysis in their own right. The admirable thing about the film is that it inspires a passionate dialogue between the two sides...a dialogue that’s still on-going.

Aronofsky is, without question, a singular artist with a unique vision, but sometimes those stylistic tendencies can overpower a simple narrative. It’s a great surprise that his newest film, The Wrestler, cuts back on scope and style in favor of subtle, realistic storytelling and natural, involving character development. The Wrestler is quite easily Aronofsky’s best film since his stunning debut, Pi; moving, intense and at times surprisingly funny. Mickey Rourke gives his best performance in 1343482734 years as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a professional wrestler who has to deal with the shit-end of the business - low income, humiliation, injury - while having to come to grips with being past his prime and dealing with the loneliness that comes with it. Randy develops a relationship with a stripper (Marisa Tomei) which, played subtley by Rourke and Tomei, is one of the most powerful elements of the film - a relationship where a simple line such as “I’m here. I’m standing here”, is enough to break your heart completely.

This is what The Wrestler does so brilliantly. The screenplay by Robert Siegel is lean and focused, a character study that uses conventions but never succumbs to them. Randy attempts to renew a relationship with his daughter Stephanie (the talented Evan Rachel Wood from Across the Universe), but where the typical Hollywood drama would use this to manipulate the audience, Seigel and Aronofsky keep it simple and realistic, unfolding the story as it would in actuality. Randy’s a good guy, but flaws are flaws, and it’s not easy to change.

A heart attack following a particularly brutal, bloody brawl (includes staple gun, glass and wire) leaves him unable to toss, pound, punch and kick his fellow wrestlers in a professional arena, “the Ram” is forced to deal with his isolation in the world “out there”. Long tracking shots follow Rourke as he enters the new ring of mundane day-to-day work and uneasy, unpredictable places. It’s subtle visual storytelling that perfectly displays Aronofsky’s directorial skill. The whole thing reminded me of what made the independent scene of the late 80s/early 90s such a vital movement and why Aronofsky was considered such a promising new voice.