Probably the best movie of the year. I've seen it a few weeks ago and it still sticks with me. Not many movies are able to do this for me nowadays. Rourke (one of the greatest performances ever, he deserves all the praise in the world), Tomei and Wood (who should have gotten way more recognition) were fantastic and that last scene was just perfect. A+

At this point, I might be sounding like a broken record, but after seeing The Wrestler, this statement bears repeating: The Academy seriously dropped the ball this year. The Wrestler is an incredibly moving film that captivates from the opening credits presentation of newspaper clippings all the way to the final fade to black and beginning of Bruce Springsteen's brilliant song of the same name. A lot has been made of Mickey Rourke, and all of it is earned. Given how natural a fit the role is for Rourke, it hardly seems like he's acting, but just going about his way in different shoes. He makes it all look so effortlessly easy. Sean Penn was also excellent in Milk, but it's Rourke who should have exited the Kodak Theatre with the Oscar. Marisa Tomei is also excellent as the stripper with whom Rourke's Randy "The Ram" forms a close bond. The two have superb chemistry, and their last scene together is heartbreaking. Also heartbreaking are Rourke's scenes with Evan Rachel Wood as his daughter. Though much of the press has gone to the actors, the foundation is expertly laid by Robert Smigel's intelligently crafted script and brought to vivid life behind the camera by Darren Aronofsky, who shows his immense directorial talent even despite a straightforward approach. This is a deep, knowing, and ultimately very moving film that stands tall as one of the very best and wholly abosrbing films of 2008.

A

9/10 -> A-

Rourke and Tomei carry this thing by themselves. They're stunning. The movie is the most emotional movie of last year. It's last year's complete downer. And then the ending shot - it becomes the best feel good movie of last year. Stunning.

Imho, ya got that backwards...

Maybe I'm a sadist?

So, does that make me a masochist?

This really is a film, much like A Few Good Men, that is made by its final scene.

This sort of is, A few good men, however, is made by the whole movie. The ending scene was awesome, but so was the whole movie.

I agree with the comments. It is a very gutwrenching and inspiring movie. The speech he gave Cassidy when he was about to go out to the ring in his last match has got to really drain you if you dont feel sad about it. Its probably one of the best sports movie out there (of course no one can take the title away from Kingpin) and probably the best male tear jerker since Braveheart. Robin and Cassidy are made for each other

A-


It is the first (and only) Darren Aronofsky film I have seen and it is very very good. Aronofsky shows off his directing chops, giving the film a very raw, blue-collar, almost documentary-like feeling.I could compliment the directing, the editing and the screenplay....but let's face it. Mickey Rourke is this movie. And this movie is Mickey Rourke. It is often said about certain films that a single actor carries the entire film (like Enchanted or La Vie En Rose or Downfall), but it is rarely as true as in the case of this film. I remember that Nicholas Cage was once up for the role and I simply can't fathom him in it. Or anyone else, for that matter. Rourke is simply a pitch-perfect piece of casting in this film. He pours his entire soul into it and delivers one of the best performance (male or female) of the last decade.

It's interesting that he lost the Oscar to another great performance (Sean Pnen in Milk). Both were great and it was an amazingly close race. Rourke was better, no doubt about that, but he also had it easier because he was playing himself, more or less. The movie, in a way, felt almost like a self-therapy session for Rourke who bared his soul more than any other actor in the past few years has on screen. He gave everything and was rewarded by a terrific career comeback (now I hope he won't just waste it on parts like the villain in Iron Man 2).

While Rourke deserves all the accolades he has gotten for his performance, I wasn't as enamored with Marisa Tomei's performance. She has chemistry with Rourke and their scenes are nice, but I never felt the deep emotional connection between the two. The love story was decent, but it never felt to me as the film's heart or its core. For me, it was always about Randy "The Ram" Robinson and everyone else was playing second fiddle to Rourke. I've gotta admit that Tomei looks incredible for her age, though! Evan Rachel Wood, as Rourke's on-screen-daughter, delivers a fine performance, but it is once again Rourke who just shines in their scenes together. He and Aronofsky's directing ability is what holds the film together from start to finish and what gives it the emotional heftiness that it deserves. The final scene of the film is a great and gut-wrenching conclusion. Black Swan will have a lot to live up to when I see it this Friday.