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May 12, 2017Nursebob rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Uruguay’s official entry for 2009’s Foreign Language Oscar is this little secular parable which uses the wrestling ring as an odd metaphor to touch on issues of adversity and salvation. There is an oily Mephistophelean quality to Orsini (Scotsman Gary Piquer playing a thoroughly convincing Spanish conman) as he chides and cajoles the depressive wrestler into one ring after another. He’s not an evil man per se but rather a benign parasite who lives off of Jacob while at the same time nursing him through his frequent psychotic episodes. The brooding Jouko Ahola on the other hand is perfectly cast as a giant man-child who, like his biblical namesake, is wrestling with a few angels of his own namely addiction, mental illness, and the Svengali-like Orsini ("Van Oppen" translates as “from upstairs”). As their story unfolds one wonders which character is more dependent on the other—or more in need of deliverance—for Jacob always seems to be one step from madness yet it would appear Orsini is nothing without his headline act. A curious mix of low-key drama and dry comedy with a quasi-religious twist or two (a high stakes poker game brought Bergman’s "The Seventh Seal to mind") made me think of "The Wrestler" had it been produced by Wes Anderson.