Gives Raw in Wrestling New Meaning

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2009)

"The Wrestler" is the most emotionally raw movie I have ever seen. Director Darren Aronofsky's other film, "Requiem for a Dream," comes close, but that film shows the drastic lengths that addicts will go to avoid feeling their emotions. In this film, the audience feels Randy the Ram's pain as he feels it. Mickey Rourke portrays The Ram so honestly because he lived such a similar life. Aronofsky deserves a lot of credit for taming the wild-man Rourke and for drawing such an honest performance from him.
It's not a film for the faint of heart. There is self-mutilation, violence, steroid and drug use, public fornication, nudity, profanity, and lots of adult situations - all of which was necessary to convey the movie's truth.
The Wrestler is a surprisingly simple film. If you've seen Aronofsky's other work, the straight-forwardness of his approach in The Wrestler is unexpected. Yet, the film's genius is the depth of emotion that can be conveyed within its simplicity. I found it almost impossible not to reflect on my own aging, disappointments, mistakes, and relationships when I watched this film...it's that profound.