










The mystery of Mickey Rourke's career comes to a grungy apotheosis in The Wrestler the much-battered actor's triumphant return to the top rope. He plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a heavily scarred and medicated battler who's twenty years past his best moment in the ring. But he still schleps to every second-rate fight card he can get to, stringing out the paychecks (more likely a fistful of cash) and nursing what's left of his pride. His attempts to adjust to a more normal kind of life form the most absorbing sections in the movie, whether it's flirting with a stripper (Marisa Tomei is in good form, in every sense), establishing a bond with his understandably angry daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), or working behind the deli counter at a nondescript megastore. Rourke is commanding in the role; he obviously spent hours in the gym and the tanning salon, and his ease with the semi-documentary style adopted by director Darren Aronofsky allows him to naturalistically interact with the colorful real-life wrestlers who crowd the movie's ultra-believable locations. All of which helps distract from the film's overall adherence to ancient formula. You might find yourself waiting for the scene where the risk-taking Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) pulls the switch and reveals his true motives for pursuing this otherwise sentimental story, but there's no switch. The Wrestler is an old-fashioned hoke machine, given grit by an actor who doesn't seem to be so much performing the role of ravaged survivor as embodying it. --Robert Horton
Stills from The Wrestler (Click for larger image)
| Mickey Rourke | Randy |
| Marisa Tomei | Cassidy |
| Evan Rachel Wood | Stephanie |
| Mark Margolis | Lenny |
| Todd Barry | Wayne |
| Wass Stevens | Nick Volpe |
| Judah Friedlander | Scott Brumberg |
| Ernest Miller | The Ayatollah |
| Dylan Summers | Necro Butcher |
| Tommy Farra | Tommy Rotten |
| Mike Miller | Lex Lethal |
| Marcia Jean Kurtz | Admissions Desk Woman |
| John D'Leo | Adam |
| Ajay Naidu | Medic |
| Gregg Bello | JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen |
| Scott Siegel | Greg |
| Maurizio Ferrigno | Spotter |
| Donnetta Lavinia Grays | Jen |
| Andrea Langi | Alyssa |
| Armin Amiri | Dr. Moayedizadeh |
| Lynn Tovale Anoa'i | Pharmacist |
| Ryan Lynn | Strip Club Best Man |
| Michael Drayer | Strip Club Bachelor |
| Alyssa Bresnahan | Cheeques Bartender |
| Jeff Chena | Hotel Bartender |
| Vernon W. Campbell | Big Chris |
| Felice Choi | Beautician |
| Bernadette Penotti | Tanning Salon Owner |
| Johnny Valiant | The Legend Johnny Valiant |
| Ron Killings | Ron |
| Giovanni Roselli | Romeo Roselli |
| Robert Siegel | Autograph Fan#1 |
| Scott Franklin | Autograph Fan#2 |
| Sylvia Kauders | Hudson Acres Lady at Deli Counter |
| Sylvia Reisler | Young Housewife at Deli Counter |
| Willy Rosner | Touchdown Man at Deli Counter |
| Rebecca Darke | German Potato Salad Lady at Deli Counter |
| EJ Carroll | Teamster at Deli Counter |
| Abraham Aronofsky | Annoyed Man at Deli Counter |
| Charlotte Aronofsky | Annoyed Woman at Deli Counter |
| TJ Kedzieerski | Jameson |
| Jen Cohn | Get a Room Lady |
| Henry Kwan | Strip club patron |
| Maven Bentley | WXW Announcer |
| Douglas Crosby | WXW Referee |
| Larry Legend | CZW Announcer |
| Nick Papagerio | CZW Referee |
| Kevin Foote | ROH Announcer |
| Jon Trosky | ROH Referee |
| Andrew Anderson | |
| Austin Aries | |
| Blue Meanie | |
| Nicky Benz | |
| Brolly | |
| Lamar Braxton Proter | |
| Claudio Castignoli | |
| Cobian | |
| Doc Daniels | |
| Bobby Dempsey | |
| Billy Dream | |
| Rob Eckos | |
| Nate Hatred | |
| Havoc | |
| DJ Hyde | |
| Inferno | |
| Joker | |
| Judas | |
| Kid U.S.A | |
| LA Smooth | |
| Toa Mairie | |
| Kevin Matthews | |
| Devon Moore | |
| Pete Nixon | |
| Paul E. Normous | |
| Papadon | |
| Sabian | |
| Jay Santana | |
| Sugga | |
| Larry Sweeney | |
| Whacks | |
| Vincent Maraval | Executive Producer |
| Agnes Mentre | Executive Producer |
| Jennifer Roth | Executive Producer |
| Maryse Alberti | Director of Photography |
| Andrew Weisblum | Film Editor |
| Clint Mansell | Composer |
| Bruce Springsteen | Song Writer |
| Jacob Ribicoff | Sound Designer |
| Brian Emrich | Sound Designer |
| Ken Ishii | production sound mixer |
| Dominick Tavella | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Amy Westcott | Costume Designer |
| Timothy Grimes | Production Designer |
| Matthew Munn | Art Director |
| Judy Chin | Make-Up Artist |
| Eve Morrow | Make-Up Artist |
| Drew Jiritano | Visual Effects |
| Dan Schrecker | Visual Effects |

