worth a see

Rating: 7/10 (29 July 2009)

I hate wrestling. That kept me from watching the flick, despite the good reviews. I'm glad I did finally go for it. The movie makes no defense of professional wrestling, but does show us, behind the scenes, how wrestling really works, that it's all theatrics. The excellent behind-the- scenes look at the wrestling life is one of the best things about the movie. It has been said that the movie is formulaic, and that's true to an extent, but formula is not bad in and of itself, only if it's worked out poorly. In that respect I would say that "The Ram's" relationship with his daughter is the weakest part of the film. On the other hand, the analogy between himself and Marisa Tomei's character, a stripper, is very powerful in that they are both people past their prime who are using their bodies for cash (and it's cruel to realize that Tomei is actually 45!). Mickey Rourke's wonderfully understated performance is, in the end, what makes the movie. We see here a good man trying to do his job, his work, the thing that is all he knows how to do. One criticism - the business of shooting the main character from behind throughout the film is an idea that is useful at first but eventually becomes an annoying mannerism. On the whole though, this is a movie that makes us care about the people it portrays.