Darren Aronofsky
The Wrestler

A somewhat stereotypical story of a champion at the twilight of his career who rebels against the relentless passage of time by redeeming himself in one last great performance, "The Wrestler" nevertheless takes on the role of an interesting film for various aspects, first and foremost for the excellent performance by Mickey Rourke, who demonstrates, or rather confirms, that he has the makings of a cult actor.

A window into the world of wrestling, a highly followed sports-entertainment in the United States, where it narrates the story of a champion much loved by the public but reaching the end of his career due to age limits.

Randy “The Ram,” this is his stage name, now barely makes a living with second-rate shows, where he nonetheless finds the affection of his audience and the admiration of younger "warriors". That is his whole life after neglecting marriage and his daughter to chase glory in the rings of the States. But now, at his age, he finds himself coming to terms with himself, questioning what good he has done in life. A reckless and unruly life, full of excesses and abuse to entertain; of hormones and amphetamines to maintain a massive physique, substances he can no longer do without and which certainly don't benefit his health.

An illness, a heart that doesn't function well anymore, a bypass, and that lifestyle is no longer for him: he has to stop fighting.

He then returns to his daughter, trying to establish a connection that was never there; at first, he succeeds, touching her emotions, managing to recover affection that can transform into love, something that can rehabilitate him in the role of a father. But he is like that and can no longer change, so he even loses that opportunity, getting thrown out. He also frequents a nightclub, trying to establish a deeper relationship with a dancer-entertainer who until then was his friend/client, but even for that, it's too late. And so he starts training again, goes back to the ring despite doctors' prohibitions for a challenge with the most famous "enemy" and there he leaves this world, amid the cheers of his fans. Because that was his world, that's where he mattered.

Stories of disoriented people, glimpses of lives in American suburbs. The story of a failed father-daughter relationship. Panorama of the Wrestling entertainment world with its behind-the-scenes. The film tells this, and Aronofsky tells it well, except for stumbling on the last moralistic speech, typical of an American ending, which The Ram delivers in the ring at the beginning of his last fight, the one that will cost him his life.

Great use of hand-held filming with a bit too much shaking, often used to shoot from behind the protagonist in a perhaps innovative technique but one that's slightly annoying and ultimately not successful. Skillful use of music with a non-original soundtrack made up of hits from the '80s, well modulated in the contrast between absence and presence at high volumes, without compromise. The end credits are a little gem by Bruce Springsteen.

Mickey Rourke fits well into the role of the protagonist, in a performance that greatly contributed to winning the Golden Lion for best film and his personal Golden Globe. A character well-suited to the look of his second artistic era. The rest of the cast is also very good, with a particular mention to Marisa Tomei who plays the stripper friend.

Noteworthy is the scene where The Ram, having adapted to a janitor's job in a market, on his first day of work with apron and cap, as he crosses the door leading him to the food department to distribute meats and cheeses, imagines entering the ring, reliving the cheers of his fans; he feels them inside himself, but as soon as he opens that transparent plastic door, he suddenly finds himself in the disappointing silence of the market.

A film that, despite a flavor of a story already seen in other forms, I still recommend watching.