“The Wrestler” Review

One of the supreme performances of the decade!

Darren Aronofsky directs a simple story of a broken man, desperate for past glory and some semblance of contact with his estranged daughter.  Randy “The Ram” Robinson is an aging professional wrestler who has royally messed up his life in virtually every imaginable way.  This film chronicles the acceptance of his fate and the small gestures he makes in order to find the slightest redemption.

Mickey Rourke acts in “The Wrestler” — a powerful independent film from one of the very best young directors in the world today.  To be honest, “acts” isn’t enough to describe Rourke’s effort here.  He “is” this man… literally.

There are very few performances in a decade where one would feel that the actor is irreplaceable.  This is one of those roles.  I cannot imagine another man playing this part.  Rumor has it that Aronofsky fought hard for Rourke to get this part — a tough task when no studio would front the cash with his name attached.  However, the fight was worthwhile.  This film triumphs because of it.

“The Wrestler” is one of the 10 best films of 2008.  Rourke’s performance is one of the most memorable you will ever witness.  I urge you to seek this gem out at your nearest art-house movie theatre before it gets counted out.