'The Wrestler'

Mickey Rourke is heart-breakingly good in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. As Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a wrestler long past his glory days who has nothing in his life, nothing but wrestling, Rourke is a constant marvel to watch. In the ring, he puts on a spectacular show, but he is equally impressive out of costume, slicing cold cuts at the supermarket deli. Rourke is also wonderfully moving in his scenes with the women in his life, especially while making an awkward, earnest attempt to renew his connection to his embittered daughter.

Working off Robert Siegel's screenplay, the film offers little in the way of narrative surprises, and Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) has traded his stylistic flourishes of his earlier movies for a faux-verite handheld camera. What makes The Wrestler sing are the over-the-top details of the low-end wrestling life itself (staple guns are legitimate!) and, of course, the performances. The blond wonder we see at work on the mat -- the all-powerful Ram, leaping full force on seemingly hapless opponents -- is a far cry from the soft spoken man in wire-framed glasses who has trouble standing up straight without a handful of pain killers. The role marks an terrific comeback for Rourke, certain to earn him an Oscar nomination and more than worthy of the gold trophy.

Evan Rachel Wood is also wonderful as the Ram's estranged daughter Stephanie. The accomplished young actress (Thirteen) has little time on camera, but her scenes opposite Rourke carry enormous emotional punch. Their tentative winter walk on the boardwalk in Asbury Park -- a toughened girl wearing a used pea coat, a gift from her father, fighting the impulse to forgive him -- elicited tears. Marisa Tomei, too, in the thankless role of a stripper with a heart of gold, is able to rise above the unfortunate cliche.

The choreographed wrestling scenes in The Wrestler are a complicated mix of hilarity and horror. What Aronofsky captures are staged theatrical performances between complicit co-workers; the actual battles, however, are down right brutal. The audience requires blood. The Ram, broken, without hope, is willing to provide.

The Wrestler (2009)

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Judah Friedlander, Ajay Naidu
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Produced by: Vincent Maraval, Agnes Mentre, Jennifer Roth Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
Release Date: December 17, 2008 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language, some drug use.
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures