Here at Truth On Cinema, we aren’t always right on top of the newest movies that come out, but in one way or another, I work my hardest to ensure that you, my readers, are informed when it comes to deciding whether or not to see a movie.

On that note, Ryan, Truth On Cinema’s Mid-Cities President of Research and Development, went and saw The Wrestler over the weekend and this is what he had to say.

If you ever see a movie that you think the Truth On Cinema community would like to know about, and I haven’t already reviewed it, feel free to email me at dan [at] truthoncinema.com

[Notice/Disclaimer: This movie was very foul. I should have done more research before going to see it and I hesitated to even share my experience, but in the interest of truth in journalism, I will proceed.]

On a personal level, I’ve always been a total mark for professional wrestling. It is one of the few memories I have of doing something with my dad growing up. We would watch the Von Erichs every Saturday night. I still brag about having worked with a professional wrestler at Starbucks and the fact that he and about a dozen wrestlers totally crashed my 22nd birthday (hotel) party.

So, this movie follows Randy “The Ram” on the downhill slope of his career working high school gyms and tiny reception halls while trying to maintain some semblance of a life. His experiences reminded me a lot of Jake Roberts who was documented in the 1999 film Beyond the Mat. He works at a grocery store, wrestles on the weekend, is trying to develop a relationship with his favorite stripper at the club, and hoping to re-connect with his estranged, lesbian daughter.

The storytelling is solid for most of the movie. The characterizations are pretty spot on. And once you get into it, the drama can be pretty believable. The biggest downside to the film making is the camera work, which is very low-budget and shaky.

Content Warning: This movie is rated R for sexuality/nudity, violence, language, and some drug use. Here’s why: “The Ram’s” favorite hang out is Cheques (“Cheeks”) strip club and they leave very little to the imagination; there are a number of wrestling matches including one, fairly graphic “hardcore match” involving staple guns, tacks, and barbed wire; there’s cursing; there’s a scene where the main character buys steroids and other drugs, and one scene with cocaine.

The truth is, this is a hard industry and the people that are in it live hard lives (see the aforementioned Beyond the Mat documentary). This is the story of Jake Roberts and Scott Hall, and countless other has-been’s and will-be’s. This movie is probably not for most people, but I can see why the actors were nominated for awards.

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