The Wrestler (2008)

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The Wrestler tells a story about an aging professional wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), who knows absolutely nothing else. That’s all he’s ever done in life, and it’s all that he believes he can do. Well, that’s not quite true, he also has a job at a local supermarket moving crates around, and has presumably had the job, or jobs like it, for quite some time. But the only success he’s ever had is in the wrestling business. His life outside the ring isn’t very good, and this is one of the reasons he continues wrestling for so long.

The other main reason to continue wrestling is necessity. His job at the supermarket doesn’t pay well, and it’s implied that he is often late with his rent. About 30 minutes into the film, he decides to have a “No Holds Barred” match against another wrestler. This match almost kills him.

We worried about “The Ram’s” body earlier in the film after we watch him limp around after what seems to be a safe match. This “No Holds Barred” match is shown through “The Ram’s” recollection, as he is having his injuries fixed up. When a doctor is pulling staples out of his body, we witness how they got there. When his face is getting patched up, we become aware of how the injuries occurred, whether they be from barbed wire, broken glass or a fork. We witness these things not like how they are portrayed on TV, but how they presumably occur.

This is what director Darren Aronofsky does incredibly well. His depiction of what it’s like to be a professional wrestler is heartbreaking, but likely not untrue. I’m sure some things are over-dramatized, but judging from the reaction from real professional wrestlers, it appears to be a realistic account of what it’s like. Randy has a lot of suffering to go through, both physically and emotionally, neither seemingly taking a bigger hit than the other.

His life outside the ring is suffering though; his friends consist of a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) and a few of the neighborhood children. He’s got a daughter, one that doesn’t want to speak with him. He wants to begin rekindling this relationship, or maybe sparking it for the first time, I’m not sure. He doesn’t know much about her, having not seen her in years, but hopes that he’ll be able to, at the very least, get on speaking terms with her.

I used the word “heartbreaking” earlier to describe the life of a professional wrestler, but you could use it to describe the entire film. Watching Randy’s life improve marginally, only to see it get worse is devastating. Things get better, and then things get worse, and the latter is always far more intense than the former.

What drives The Wrestler forward is Mickey Rourke. His performance is two-fold, one part emotion, the other physique. Here, he has to portray the emotion that comes from being an old, rundown, professional wrestler, but he also has to look and play the part. He is large in this film, and seems to take a lot of bumps in the process. Ask Rourke if wrestling is fake after filming this film, and I’d be willing to bet his answer would be a very firm “no”.

Thanks to his performance, and the way his character is written in general, we begin to really care about “The Ram”. Thanks to this attachment, the film becomes more heartbreaking. Even at the 30 minute mark, during this “No Holds Barred” match, we already have an attachment to Rourke’s character. When he ends up in hospital, we don’t want to see him succumb to his broken body. This is true for every single moment of the film. If something can go wrong, as it often does, we don’t wish it to.

Darren Aronofsky is good at making heartbreaking (there’s that word again) dramas, and The Wrestler is no exception. The majority of the film dwells in the negative territory, with only few moments of relief. One that stands out the most is one in which Randy has to work the deli counter at the supermarket. This scene is the only real humorous moment in the film, which is what makes it stand out even more.

The Wrestler is a really, really good movie. It has drama, tension, while telling an interesting and believable story. Randy Robinson is a character that grows on you quickly, even while completely destructive things happen to his body, mind and life. Mickey Rourke is incredible in the lead role, and the film, most importantly, makes you care. If I could reiterate this word one more time: It’s a heartbreaking film. Or it was for me, and likely will be for you as well.

The above author's byline must be attached to the work if being distributed.

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The Fighter (2011)

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Wahlberg lands a KO…

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo & Mickey O’Keefe

Directed by: David O. Russell

Screenplay by: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson

Plot: 

Micky Ward (Wahlberg) has aspirations to become a boxing champ but before he can, he must overcome his equally well-meaning and destructive family first.

Verdict:

Originally meant as a directional project for Darren Aronofsky with the likes of Brad Pitt and Matt  Damon pencilled in to star, The Fighter’s eventual completion with Three Kings director David O. Russell behind the camera and Mark Wahlberg in the leading role with Christian Bale for support, has indeed been a long time coming but thankfully its been worth the wait.

Wahlberg was always interested in the role of underdog boxer Micky ‘Irish’ Ward and four years before he even stepped in front of the camera, he began training, met with the real Micky Ward and even built his own boxing ring in his own backyard. Wahlberg’s commitment shines through in the finished product, physically and emotionally. Wahlberg gives a quietly affecting, understated performance that unselfishly allows Bale to fully grasp the fierier role as Ward’s older brother Dickie Eklund, a former boxer who once sent Sugar Ray Leonard to the mat but is now suffering with a crack addiction. And boy does Bale take full advantage, showing plenty of commitment himself by once again shedding the pounds to physically replicate the man he is portraying. But it’s more than just the physical transformation that impresses, Bale’s firework display of manic antics and eventual redemption wins us over with ease and if the Academy don’t finally give him his due with what would be a hard-earned Oscar, it would have to be considered a blatant snub.

Elsewhere, Melissa Leo impresses as Ward’s fearsome mother and Amy Adams once again shows her considerable talent for more dramatic roles as Ward’s strong-minded girlfriend; their relationship wholly convincing.

Despite ticking off the cliches as it goes - underdog boxer endures pain, embarrassment and multiple, physically demanding training sessions on his way to redemption and glory - O. Russell’s film is more about family values and gritty realism. The latter theme stretching to the police sergeant Mickey O’Keefe who helped train Ward appearing in the film as himself, despite having no acting experience whatsoever. The authentic Lowell setting and Boston accents also go some way to help the realistic approach. There are even nice comedic touches. Like Dickie’s escape route from the crack house he regularly visits and pretty much every scene with Ward’s seven hard-ass sisters.

But either way you look at it, not since Stallone’s Rocky has an underdog story been this likable and easy to root for. So by the time Ward completes his journey from chump to champ, you will be punching-the-air in celebration of this inspiring biopic that is powerful enough to land a decisive KO.

The above author's byline must be attached to the work if being distributed.

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Through The Glass

Nigerian Movie Review
Through The Glass – 2010
Story/Screenplay & Director Stephanie Okereke
Producer – Stephanie Okereke

Starring:
Stephanie Okereke – Ada
Garrett Mckechnie – Geoffrey
Rainier Kenny – Martha
Brion Rose – Matt
Geno Giordan – Donald
Christy Williams – Nicole

Themes:
Adoption
Parenthood

NollywoodForever.Com Rating – 41%

Synopsis:

Tom Cruise lookalike Geoffrey played by Garrett Mckechnie is Ada’s neighbour and a womanising playboy. Day in and day out different women leave his house after nighttime rendez vous. One day a new born baby is left at his front door. One of his former lays leaves it there unable to cope and disgruntled with the fact that he has been ignoring her phone calls and texts. Geoffrey turns to his neighbour Ada played by Stephanie Okereke for help. She is reluctant at first to even talk to Geoffrey considering his reputation but soon warms up when she falls in love with the baby.
____________

Stephanie Okereke
Stephanie is a decent actress, and sometimes she is even great but all her slip ups and mispronunciations were way too many in this movie. I hear people talk about her Americanisms and mispronunciations and I never thought that it was thaaaat bad until NOW. Oh lawd it was never ending,

Example 1:

“When you stop budging me with your problems…”
Hold up woman were u really trying to say BOTHERING? Oh HELL NAW!

Example 2:

“I thought you said it was only the baby thaaaaaart maaaarthuuurrs”
Oh lawdhammercy please Stephanie spare us!

The Storyline/ Setting
Stephanie was not thinking about where the movie is set when writing this movie. She has set the movie in the USA but then having things happen as if it were Nigeria. We had Geoff’s dad talking about how having a baby without being married would bring scandal to his advertising company. Erm? HUH? Not in America love. America is not Nigeria. How would people be all up in your private business like that?

In the hearing to get the baby back it was brought up that Geoff has not been in a committed relationship before. How would they know that and how would that be brought up? Not in America Stephanie. I don’t buy that at all. I feel like she had her Nigerian thinking cap on too much. If she wasn’t sure about cultural differences she should have stayed away from things she was not sure about or asked Americans for their advice. There ain’t know shame in knowing your limitations.

Character Development
The character development generally was very poor. All of the characters felt one dimensional. I didn’t feel like I got to know them at all. She tried to create some sympathy angle with Geoff and his whole daddy relationship issues but it just did not work for me. The druggy who was the baby’s mother provided some comic relief in the movie but even her small role was problematic. We see that she only wants her child for welfare however when she comes to hand the baby back she is acting like she is a caring mother when she never showed an iota of that before. It doesn’t make sense and is out of character. What has caused this turn around? Is she off drugs? Did she have an epiphany? What? We are never told or shown.

Screenplay
The script was rather basic. There was one line where Geoff goes to talk to Stephanie but he has lipstick around his mouth and Stephanie is trying to show some sass but it just really didn’t work. The wording was awkward and this wasn’t the only time. She says to him,

“By the time you wipe off the lipstick from your mouth you can check me out”
Hum er ok Steph.

Nollywood Forever Says What
Geoff and Ada’s front doors are always left open. SAY WHAT? Where is this where people can go in and out of people’s houses just any how?

The scene where Geoff calls “the authorities” and the guy is having sex with someone on the phone does not feel realistic at all. SAY WHAT? At first I thought Geoff was calling his friend. Not well thought about at all. Who are the authorities? Social services? The police? She needed to be more specific.

It was not realistic to me that no one would take the baby when Geoff told “the authorities” someone left it on the doorstep. SAY WHAT? How can “the authorities” be telling you, “Are you sure you don’t know the person whose baby it is?” Nonsense

What was it at the hearing to get the baby back that not once were DNA or drugs tests mentioned. SAY WHAT? Come on!!! How would the authorities have accusations of drug abuse and not carry out a simple drug test before giving the baby back. How would they not do a DNA test to see if Geoff was the father? Why wouldn’t Geoff insist on one?

Conclusion:

I would not recommend the movie. The general premise of the story was good and could have worked. With a bit of crafting and character development it could have been a fine movie, however it was not. Character development was poor, too many things that happened did not seem realistic and the actors veered between mediocre and beneath that. It was just about watchable and Stephanie dey try but there were just too many gaping holes, however it was a completely solo effort so she must be commended for at least pulling the whole thing together.

Off subject:
Loved the black guy’s “token” shirt. Hilarious. He was hot too.

Tags: Brion Rose, Christy Williams, Garrett Mckechnie, Geno Giordan, Rainier Kenny, Stephanie Okereke

Category: Nollywood Film Reviews, Watch? Only if bored