The Wrestler

Desperate to continue a career as a professional wrestler after his golden years pass him by, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) works the amateur circuit. A heart attack forces him to trade in the tights for a normal life as he searches for relationships with stripper friend Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) and estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood).

The picture belongs to Rourke. His performance is sublime, physically and emotionally vulnerable, and painful to watch. Even with the brutal beatings and countless injuries suffered, wrestling has been far kinder to Randy than real life.

You can’t help but root for the guy, which makes his scenes of breathtaking self-destruction hard to swallow. The camera frequently follows Rourke creating a unique and especially personal aesthetic.

Even if wrestling is more of a spectacle than a sport, the pain is as real as it gets. Colliding with barbed wire, staple guns, and shattering glass are typical. Intricate details of the fights and performers talking shop backstage create a legitimate feeling world for the film.

The only false step in the entire film is Wood’s slightly undercooked role, and the fact that her acting prowess pales when next to Rourke. Stephanie has been understandably jaded by years of her father’s absence, but Wood’s performance isn’t much more than one-note callousness. A far more interesting relationship is played between Randy and Cassidy.

Both are aging performers far from their peak. Both have different names for on stage and off. Offstage, Cassidy prefers her real name, Pam. But Randy is Randy “The Ram” everywhere. He shudders to be summoned by birth name “Robin.” He’s only alive when performing; Cassidy performs because it’s a living.

On paper it may seem like a typical underdog story, but I never once felt the pang of cliché. Rourke is dazzling, the style gritty, the story compelling.

This is Darren Aronofsky’s most conventionally done picture yet – the frenetic visual style of earlier works is gone - but it just might be his best. He’s paid his dues; this should have been his shot at best picture and directing. Though the Academy unrighteously snubbed this outstanding film, “The Wrestler” deserves the highest accolades.

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The Garden

It’s a classic David and Goliath story. Race, class, and politics flare up in this excellent documentary. “The Garden” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Academy Awards and finally gets a run in theaters.

A 13-acre plot of farm ground in downtown Los Angeles has been worked for over a decade by low income Latinos. Land is communal, open to anyone to farm. The location is a lone spot of nature in the otherwise developed cityscape.

The city bought the land from a private developer in the 80s, but recently sold it back to him in a backroom deal off the record. Now the city and developer want the immigrants out so a warehouse can be constructed.

The land has become much more than it seems for its workers; it has become their livelihood, their way of living.

Director Scott Hamilton Kennedy wisely lets the farmers tell the story instead of opting for a narrator to string things together. These real people carry the picture and let us get to know them. They simultaneously feel authentic and like characters in a work of fiction.

Lack of narration helps draw you in and forget you’re watching a documentary. Title screens are used to fill in bits of information not covered elsewhere.

Lawsuits and rallies abound to save the garden. Trouble doesn’t only brew between the city and the farmers though. A farmer is evicted after not complying with community established rules and attacks another with a machete.

Guess it’s not in the Garden of Eden.

It’s great to see that this movie contains an honest to goodness story, richer than many concocted by Hollywood writers. A few years worth of the power struggle for the garden are covered in the brisk, 80 minute running time.

The direction and editing are adept, working to clearly tell the story. The movie was obviously shot a low budget, but this gives it a homespun charm much like that of the garden itself. It feels like an indie picture produced lovingly by professionals.

The only thing that kept me from getting completely behind the cause was the likelihood that not all of the farmers were legal citizens; illegal immigrants shouldn’t have a legal leg to stand on. But it appeared that many of them were legitimate residents.

While the film obviously sides with the farmers, both sides are represented. The councilwoman and developer responsible for the illegal deal get to express their side, even though the latter refused to be interviewed. Kennedy went out of his way to make sure everyone was heard.

Go see “The Garden.” It’s an excellent slice of life picture with a real story to tell.

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Top 10 - 2008

Howdy, and welcome to my blog. I'm Tom Helberg and I love movies. I'll try to update this blog as often as I can with film reviews for your edification. Hopefully, I can help you find something worth watching. Even though it's a bit late, I wanted my first post to be my Top 10 for 2008. Normally I would elabortate on my feelings on these films, but this list is late and you're probably burned out on reading these sorts of things. However, I will say that I'm still bitter that the Academy snubbed my top two films for Best Picture and Best Director nominations. Seriously, how did Frost/Nixon do it?

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Wrestler
3. Slumdog Millionaire
4. Doubt
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Valkyrie
7. Iron Man
8. Burn After Reading
9. Wall-E
10. Synecdoche, New York

Favorite Performances:

1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
3. Robert Downy, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
4. Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
5. Brad Pitt - Burn After Reading

Most Hated Film of the Year: Mamma Mia!