The Wrestler (2008)

"I don't hear as good as I used to, and I ain't as pretty as I used to be. But I'm still here, I'm the Ram."


Darren Arononfsky is one of the most intuitive and original film directors of his generation yet most people have probably never heard of him. Both Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain, two of his earlier works have, in my opinion, the potential to be consider masterpieces of cinema in years to come and the term 'masterpiece' is not a term that I use often or loosely. These two mentioned above are not household name film, especially the latter. Requiem deals with the sensitive subject of drug abuse amongst other traumatic subject matters in quite an extreme and at times rather depressing way and The Fountain, a firm favourite of mine, is heavy on symbolism and requires much work to fully understand it. The Wrestler on the other hand, is a much more 'people friendly' type of film and due to the Oscar buzz that it received is a film I suspect most people will have taken notice of in 2008. But in no shape or form does this mean Aronofsky is selling out. The Wrestler is just a different type of film, requiring a different type of mood and the documentary style feel that it has is perfect.

Mickey Rourke plays an aging wrestler, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, whose glory days are past him but he still wrestles part time in smaller venues. He still gets the adoration of the fans and is highly respected by his fellow professionals but despite this Randy, who is separated from his wife, is depicted as quite a lonely man. He frequently visits a strip club where he has struck up a friendship with one of the women, Pam/Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who works there but she is reluctant to get involved with a paying customer. Randy's aging body is struggling to cope with the demands of wrestling which regularly causes him to suffer wounds and after one particular hardcore bout in which he receives numerous minor injuries after being attacked with staple guns, barbed wire and glass Randy suffers a heart attack in the locker room. This near death experience causes Randy to realise that he is getting older, his bodily more fragile and that he can no longer keep living in the time warp that is the glory days of his past. After being warned by the doctor that continuing to wrestler may end his life, he retires from the ring (cancelling his 20th anniversary match against Ayatollah in the process) and attempts to make it up to his daughter after alienating her for years, continues to meet Pam the stripper in an attempt to garner more than just her advantages as a stripper and takes a job working behind a deli counter, much to his displeasure. After being recognised at the deli counter Randy realises he is in the wrong job and quits in a rather violent fashion and reschedules the 20th anniversary match much to Pam's displeasure who finally realises Randy is more than just a paying customer. He goes ahead with the fight but is clearly suffering from angina and as he goes to finish Ayatollah off with his signature 'Ram Jam' headbutt the camera blacks outs leaving us to wonder if he has died or not.


It is quite bizarre to think that a film that features the 'sport' of wrestling has garnered such positive acclaim by critics. But in truth, this is a film that has much more depth than simply being about wrestling. Sure, wrestling fans will drool over this but The Wrestler is a film that can easily be enjoyed by non-fans too. Wrestling just asks as the shell to a film that really is about the realisation of overlooking stardom in search for emotional comfort. Randy is a performer but he is also a person who has let his fame cut off all the ties to people he cared for. The fans adore him and he respects that but as his career takes it's toll on his body he realises he needs more. Ultimately however, he realises that he has little, no love in his life and a daughter who no longer cares, he is compelled to return to the ring, to the cheers of the crowd, which he realises is the only good thing in his life but it is the one thing that ultimately finishes him off.

Simply put, Mickey Rourke produces one of the most believable performances of the 2000's. The role of Randy felt like it was made for Rourke so much so that at times I forgot I was watching a ficticious picture and instead I thought it was a biographical documentary before my eyes. I genuinely believed in the character and for this to be the case is quite an achievement. It has been a long, long time since I cared about the happenings of a film character as much as I cared for Randy. There was a connection to be had between the viewer and Rand, he represented anyone who has ever felt loneliness, regret and emotional need. Rourke does a dazzling job of portraying very simple human fears that we all feel at some point in our lives. I haven't seen many of Rourke's films but this must surely be his best performance to date. Sean Penn's performance in Milk must have been mind blowing to deserve the Oscar nod he got over Rourke although I sense Rourke may have been robbed.

Hopefully this popular picture will open movie goers eyes to the other works of Aronofsky which although are not as easy to digest as The Wrestler is, are certainly just as rewarding, if not more so, than this excellent film.

Rating: 9/10 - highly recommended.

Looking for Eric (2009)

"I am not a man, I am Cantona"


I first heard about Looking For Eric from a couple of die-hard Manchester United fans who were, as you would expect, rather excited about the prospect of a film dedicated to the United legend that is Eric Cantona. Still knowing little about the film I heard that the basic plot was that Cantona appears from a poster in a fellow die-hard United fan's room and helps him cope with the struggles in his life. Interesting.

As a football and a film fan I agreed to make a rare appearance at the cinema and go see it but before that time came I did a little research and it was then that I discovered that, the director of the 1970 British classic Kes (which also boasted a rather unique and unusual plot) Ken Loach, was at the helm of Looking for Eric. My interest in the film doubled.

The plot is pretty simple. Eric (played by former The Fall bassist Steve Evets) is a single middle aged dad who is truly depressed, often contemplates suicide and gets shown absolutely no respect or love from his two step-sons. His house is a mess, as his is appearance, and his job as a postman appears to be tedious and boring. His fellow work mates try to cheer him up by telling him jokes but his misery refuses to let up even slightly. His only source of comfort appears to be his giant Eric Cantona poster that in amongst a house that looks completely dreary really stood out thus helping to alleviate it's importance in Eric's life. One night after his workmate Meatballs (the fantastic John Henshaw) says, upon reading Paul McKenna's self-help book, that Eric and his friends should turn to their idols for enlightenment Eric Cantona, the famous number 7, appears in Eric's bedroom. This moment is the catalyst that instigates a huge improvement on Eric's life which allows for plenty of heartfelt moments along the way.

A potentially gimmicky idea is completely gimmick-free as Cantona becomes the ideal candidate to help Eric in dealing with the bad times in life and in instructing him to make the most of the positives in his life. The two embark on some rather unusual adventures, including spliff smoking, jogging, trumpet playing (well attempting to) which culminates in a completly bizarre moment in which hundred of rubber masked Cantona's descend on the film's 'villian'. There is even time to get the viewing Manchester United fan's juices really flowing as the two Eric's look back at Cantona's United career and we get to see a montage of his most famous goals and passes.

The film's most positive aspect is the sparkling chemistry that the two Eric's have as a newly formed friendship. It is one that is both touching and amusing as Cantona provides us with some excellent philosophical one liners. Evets is fantastic as Eric, in a quite demanding role for someone with little big screen experience. Cantona, who is equally great in his 'as himself' role, also forces through the second of the great relationships in the film as he suggests Eric doesn't avoid seeing his ex-wife, somebody he hasn't seen for over twenty years. He and Lily end up looking back at their time together and talking about where it all went wrong when initially they were only going to meet up out of necessity.


Many films are guilty of setting up completely unecessary relationships within them but the two here in Looking For Eric feel completely necessary for the story that unfolds. It seems that they really are the platform for Eric getting his life back on track once again and for that complete credit has to be given to Loach.

I have already mentioned the bizarre ending involving the rubbed masked Cantona's, however, it is in this scene where it feels like the fun, happy times of which Cantona is telling Eric to seek finally oust the misery and negative aspects of his life. It is here where the metaphor of Eric for the whole of man as a whole really comes to light as we see man striving to overcome the failings in their lives and replace them with, well, quite simply....fun.

All in all Looking For Eric is quite simply an unexpectedly refreshing film that Loach and Britain as a nation should be completely proud of. Yes, the film as a template does seem quite familiar but this simply doesn't matter as it's huge message and charming relationships completely outweigh any criticisms that could be aimed at it of which they are so, so few.

Rating: 8.5/10 - highly recommended