The Wrestler

THE WRESTLER (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
Wow! Well, it's official: Darren Aronofsky is a good director, if not a great one. I'll have to watch Requiem for a Dream again to see if it's as bad as I remember it being, as the man clearly has some serious talent. About an aging, washed-up professional wrestler who struggles to find a place for himself outside of the only thing he really knows: wrestling. The film is centred by a truly phenomenal performance from Mickey Rourke -- I really can't say enough good things about his performance; it is crazy good. I'm sure this would have launched a pretty big-time comeback for Rourke if he weren't so screwy-looking. I'd be willing to bet serious money that he'll get an Oscar nomination next year. The performance is just that good. The film is excellently written by Robert D. Siegel, who paints a haunting and deeply effective portrait of a damaged character. And Aronofsky's direction is just as good -- he discards all his usual stylistic quirks and tells the story in the most straight-forward way possible (which isn't to say that the direction is bland, just not flashy at all) which certainly proves to suit the material perfectly. Ultimately, even if the movie weren't that great it would be worth it if only for Rourke's amazing performance. Fortunately, the film is definitely up to his level. ****