For fans of Wrestling and Art-House, a must see "10"

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2009)

The director looks like he enjoyed making this small but excellent film. It has no more clichés in it that Requiem. This (The Wrestler) is actually quite an original film in many respects. It takes from fighting/boxing films and flips it with the theatrics of wrestling where you are fighting with yourself and your own physical limitations. An ancient theater. The casting of Rourke is one of the best decisions of leading men in recent memory. He looks the part and is very believable as a wrestler. All his movements and postures in the ring are grand. He owns that place. Both casting of Rourke and Marisa Tomei have a real life parallel to them. I think the film can have wide appeal and do well with Wresling fans because of its authenticity and respect towards the subject matter. Oh, and I like the photography. The cinema-scope works very well in the viewpoints of the characters. A spectral vision is created and takes us there rather than solid, static compositions, the wide format is used in a modern, documentary informed way minus any over shaking that the film thankfully stays away from.
At the end this is a very solid attempt at genre and something very new at the same time. It is great when a director really wants to make a film like this because you can tell in its results.
http://mikeretter.tripod.com