The Wrestler

This one is tough to watch. It is appealing that The Wrestler could be non other than your common guy going through a mid-life crisis. His lifestyle is self destructing but also shows a sense of grandeur. This is definitely a guy who's not afraid to grab the spotlight but it is during the rest of the time, the time when he's not in the spotlight that crisis hits. 

Mickey Rourke's role is somewhat semi autobiographical. An eighties star is down, but not out, if he gets to pull a comeback that will land him the big spotlight again and give his life a sense of purpose... but at what cost? His performance has already been praised by the Hollywood Foreign Press with a Golden Globe. Whereas he'll be able to snatch the coveted statuette, who knows, we'll see next week.

There's no shame in sticking to what we're good at, but this keeps us from experiencing the rest of what's out there, and sometimes even keeps us from building meaningful connections with the ones that are nearest to us. This wrestler is somehow self-indulged and a little high maintenance, but that, I guess, is an intrinsic characteristic of an attention craving creature.

A very linear drama, which I like because it doesn't bring unnecessary complications to the plot. The Wrestler is so crude at some points that it might cause disgust. If you like Fear Factor (TV), you might enjoy some of the graphic display on this movie. Such graphical content, although hard to watch and enjoy, does bring much reality to the screen.

Marisa Tomei is a proven actress that although her role as a stripper could have backfired, I think to let herself be guided by Darren Aronofsky was a wise choice, comparable to that of Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream (Buy it).  

A minute late, a dollar short, a Sopranoesque ending... don't wait to long to watch this one. I'm wrestling with myself on how to rate this one, I think I'll give it a Rent it.