The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky's latest film The Wrestler follows the life of washed-up professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, portrayed by Mickey Rourke. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

The Wrestler is a wonderfully touching and chilling look at the life of a broken down man. It's even more engrossing when you start looking at the parallels between Randy "The Ram" and the actor who plays him, Mickey Rourke. Mickey Rourke was an up and coming actor in the early '80s garnering critical acclaim in films like Body Heat, Diner, and Barfly. His eccentric choices (he gave up acting to become a boxer) led him to direct-to-DVD releases in the late '90s.

It's safe to say that Rourke's performance is one of the best of the year, even perhaps the last several years. Its amazing that someone portraying a professional wrestler, a most bombasitc figure, could convey emotion with such subtlety and nuance. Body language, small eye movements, and subtle facial changes define his character with much depth.

Besides Rourke's performance, this film should also be seen for the director's complete 180 switch in style from his last feature. The Fountain was an effects heavy fantasy while The Wrestler employs a guerrilla style of handheld camera work to bring a gritty sense of reality to the film. I particularly enjoyed all the shots following Randy "The Ram" from behind, taking the joy Randy feels when entering the ring and applying different emotions when Randy is faced with reality.

There wasn't much I didn't like about this film. Maybe one thing would be how Randy's relationship to his estranged daughter is portrayed. I wish the film would have given this relationship more screen time. It seems a little tacked on and Evan Rachel Wood's anger seems a little forced. This is especially true in a scene where we see what is apparently the end of a heartfelt conversation. Couldn't the film take the extra ten minutes to show us the whole thing?

Kinsey: 4 stars

Wade: 4.5 stars