"I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be alone, I just don't want you to hate me"

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2009)

A deeply moving film that tugs your emotional heartstrings in all the right places, The Wrestler is as real as you can get, its honest to the core and absolutely no BS. Aronofsky told us a story and he told it at flaming speed. Coupled with great set design and amazing cinematography (I just can't get enough of those over the shoulder shots), The Wrestler is a defining moment in 2008 cinema and it is gonna be remembered for the years to come.
I know its all said and done, but Mickey Rourke gives a career defining performance as Randy "The Ram". Rourke is Ram, there can be no other actor who can portray the character like Rourke did. The Ram reflects Rourke's real life struggles and he puts it to good use by using his raw, unnerved emotions on-screen. Tomei also knocked it out the ballpark portraying a sullen, single mom working as a stripper at a nightclub. The spark between her and Rourke is just pure magic but with a depressing mix to the equation when you realize these are people who are in the twilight of their careers and they have nobody else to turn to but each other. Evan Rachel Wood plays the daughter and although she is only seen in a couple or so scenes, she makes up for it with great acting and no doubt, this stunning lady is going places. Aronofsky, known for his previous depressing and sad films, gives us another one to cry our hearts out on so if you still haven't seen the film, ready your Kleenex because the ending will be one for the books.
A must see.