Review of The Wrestler (1984) by Chris H — 20 May 2012

Mickey Rourke gives one of the finest performances of 2008 in this brutal, unflinching account of a washed-up wrestler whose escapades outside the ring are hardly as successful as his performances inside it. Darren Aronofsky, famous for his ADD style editing and fantastic, dizzying visuals, finally tones everything down. He is very much serving the story here and it's refreshing to see him do so. His camera follows Rourke around as if its life depends on it, and it works to Aronofsky's advantage.

The other performances in the movie are strong as well, Marisa Tomei gives a moving performance as the aging stripper/single mom who has discovered, like Rourke's character, that time is not treating her well when it comes to her profession. Evan Rachel Wood redeems herself here after an awful performance in Across the Universe.

This movie is about as gritty and down to earth as you can get in the cinemas these days. Be prepared to be moved, but also be prepared to wince....a lot. This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart. However, it is a film that demands to be seen thanks to a powerful performance from Rourke.