Fox Searchlight

R 115 min

Humans and animals will, by their very nature, do what instinct tells them to do to survive, but only the humans will spend lifetimes trying to understand why. An old wolf doesn’t have to tally up his successes, failures, or regrets when he’s too old to hunt even though hunting is all he’s ever known. Maybe we can thank Adam and Eve for that gift of knowledge.

Mickey Rourke is Randy “The Ram” Robinson a pro wrestling star in the 80s but now barely able to make ends meet between casual labor and a few small local wrestling shows.

One thing to remember is that pro wrestling is that while it may be more of a show than an actual sport; these men are a rare combination of actor and athlete. Sure they feed off of the audience reaction but don’t kid yourself; these matches take a toll on the human body no less damaging than the NFL,

There’s a planned 20-year anniversary match to commemorate the Madison Square Garden championship featuring the Ram and his old nemesis turned car dealer, the Ayatollah

Unfortunately Father Time has abruptly tapped Randy by way of a bad heart that just can’t take the punishment of the ring anymore.

Randy’s love interest here is “Cassidy” (Marissa Tomei) an over the hill exotic dancer who, thanks to that old human pride, fights too hard to separate her “real” life from her obvious feelings for the old wrestler. While she struggles to abandon the character she plays for the customers, the Ram tries just as desperately to find the strength to keep his alive

He will try though. He needs to reconcile his errant life and make amends with his estranged daughter. Randy does his best to accept a new life at the supermarket deli, though his best isn’t quite enough. It’s interesting that the situation that drives him out of the market is not the grating complaints of the customers, or the belittling remarks of the boss. The last straw comes when a wrestling fan recognizes him and the shame of having fallen from the spotlight is too much to bear.

I’m sure there will be the occasional comparisons to Stallone’s ROCKY or PARADISE ALLEY, but while there are similarities among the three excellent films each has it’s own way of telling an age-old story of the spirit of man.

Anyone who’s taken pride from a job well done; everyone who has shaken off the aching joints and braved the Ohio winter on the way to work will relate to the story.

And it’s great to see Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei (she’s still gorgeous) back in the ring. Rourke has never been better, playing the broken down fighter perfectly. It’d have been easy to go over the top but this fellow is both human and fragile as life slowly fades.

This could easily have been nominated for Best Picture but….

A-

WSS