Reviewing: "The Wrestler" starring Mickey Rourke
This movie should have been called "Cheap Heat." Overseas it should be released as "Cheap Heat, Ad Nauseam," with Latin added to give it respectability for a European audience. It is amazing what an uncreative smart-mark director and a money-mark producer can accomplish when their assets are combined.
The central character, Ram, discovers his young daughter is living with a black bull dyke who is always in a bad mood and just dying to kick his ass . . . a nice touch . . . and every father's worse nightmare.
In fact, this entire film is a nightmare of dark, seedy dressing room and gentleman's club characters; a bloated dark side pandering of the business to a dumbed down public. It bears little resemblance to the business I know.
If you must pay to see this garbage . . . don't buy into it.
. . . Pete Maguire
I agree . . . never heard the F word used in so many ways . . . cheap heat and a poor story line . . . could have been good if the actual story of losing the limelight and dealing with getting old was the key, the sex scenes and the daughter had no bearing on the main story. The original WRESTLER produced by Verne Gagne and featuring Billy Robinson was well done . . . if you can find a copy of that it's enjoyable and very believable . . . kay fabe was still alive then.
. . . Karl Lauer,
Executive V.P. The Cauliflower Alley Club and veteran West Coast promoter
