Toronto Film Festival: Day 10

September 14, 2008 by Liam
Filed under: Movie News

Our annual coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival concludes today with a public screening of The Wrestler.

The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky, stars Mickey Rourke as a down-and-out professional wrestler named Randy “The Ram” Robinson whose best days are behind him. He spends his nights on the independent circuit trying to make enough money to survive. His only real friend is a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). He’s interested in a relationship but she doesn’t get involved with customers. However, she relents when Randy shows interest in rekindling a relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). Cassidy helps him find a gift for her and the father and daughter reunite. But, just as things begin to look up for “The Ram”, he’s faced with constant reminders of “the life” that he just can’t leave behind.

I liked this movie. I liked it a lot. But part of me was a little let down — not that I didn’t enjoy it — but that I had such high expectations going in based on everything I’d heard and read, it was impossible for the movie to live up to the hype. Mickey Rourke was everything I was expecting. The movie was to wrestling what Rocky was to boxing. It deserves the accolades, but will require another viewing for me to fully be able to appreciate it.

As for the crowd, unbelievable. For a Saturday morning screening, I was very surprised at the turnout. We arrived about 30 minutes early and the lineup went pretty much around the block — and then around another block. The auditorium sat 500 people and I imagine there wasn’t an empty seat in the entire building.

Well, that’s it here in Toronto. We’ll return in a couple of days with our wrap up.

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