Extraordinary portrait of low-life America punches life into an old "Rocky"-like formula

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2010)

After 20 years in the business, aging pro-wrestler Rourke is inevitably at the end of his rope, facing his failing health as well as the long-lost contact with his estranged daughter (Wood), and his blossoming crush interest in a local bar stripper (Tomei).
Extraordinary portrait of low-life America that makes all the right moves to punch life and power into an old "Rocky" -like formula with shades of the somewhat similar 1972 drama "Fat city". Evades sentimentality by its candid, semi-documentary style, subtle symbolism and full-fleshed characters. The dive behind the scenes of the seemingly ridiculous, clownish world of the WCW phenomenon is equally fascinating (with its inside camaraderie and steroid pushing) and moving. Commendably short running time helps, too. That final supermarket deli scene should be a classic, just as the monumental performance by Rourke of a man unable to change his fate - the parallels to his own acting career is the icing on the cake!
7 out of 10 from Ozjeppe