"The Wrestler" Wins

Mickey Rourke really did make a comeback. The film follows the life of a former pro wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke), whom is no longer living the glamorous life of a superstar. The film has a documentary feel as the camera follows behind Randy as it uncovers the life of a wrestler. The audience will see the stage performance of a pro wrestler, which is pretty much the same on the WWF. What is interesting is the lengths that Randy takes to try to stay in the mind set that he is still a wrestler. From tanning, bleaching his hair, weights, medications, women, drugs and pushing himself to the limit in the ring all adds up to his heart attack.

Randy tries to live a normal life without wrestling by trying to see his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and hoping for a relationship with a stripper Pam/Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). The film touches on topics such as aging. The revelation that Randy can no longer be a wrestler because his body does not work like it did twenty years ago. The same for Cassidy. The men treat her differently because she is not the twenty year old stripping on stage.

This is such a good film and different from the other sport "hero" movies out there.

I give it five stars.