Moving portrayal of a deeply flawed man

Rating: 9/10 (11 February 2012)

Let's face it, Mickey Rourke is a bit of a joke these days. He's got a career littered with turkeys - even in his prime days back in the '80s - and a face so distorted by surgery that it's hard to recognise him, let alone take him seriously. Who would have thought he'd give the performance of the year in a wrestling biopic, of all things? The first clue that THE WRESTLER might be interesting lies in the director, Darren Aronofsky (he of the devastating REQUIEM FOR A DREAM). The script, layered with realism upon realism, ventures deep into the psyches of the characters, exposing their flaws, their backgrounds and the drives that make them tick, all through relatively little dialogue. Aronofsky's leisurely, unhurried style of mockumentary is the perfect fit for a perfect story.
Rourke isn't the only great member of the cast - Marisa Tomei's unflinching portrait of an ageing stripper is equally fine (although the less said about Evan Rachel Wood's bratty daughter the better). Despite the slow nature of the film, it does gradually build until an inevitable climax which had me on the edge of my seat - even though it doesn't show anything, not when it comes down to it.
Aronofsky can't resist throwing in one of the most grisly sequences I've seen in a mainstream movie - you'll know it when you see it - yet, deep down, this is a film all about heart and the human spirit. It's like ROCKY, in some ways, although it manages to get even deeper inside its flawed characters than the Stallone film ever managed. It's a fine movie.