Painful to watch...

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2010)

This film is, at times, very painful to watch. The wrestling scenes are brutally violent and bloody--with some of the action real and hard to see. Reportedly, the staples and several other body-scarring scenes were real! You can't say that Mickey Rourke wasn't willing to suffer for his art! Plus, when you see the post-match Rourke barely able to move or function, it's hard to watch--and you want to avert your eyes. It's definitely a no holds barred sort of movie.
Rourke plays an aging wrestler who has gained some fame but also is working in the second-tier of the profession. In other words, the job is violent but doesn't even pay well--and plays in lesser venues. You get the impression that he was a big-name star at one point, but by now time has taken its toll and he's seen better days. His body is covered in scars, he's reduced to needing a hearing aid and he has just suffered a heart attack. Now that his career is about over, he is looking to make a few changes--to get a real job and try to reacquaint himself with his estranged daughter. It's interesting because although the violence is very hard to watch, seeing him try to make a new life is often more painful and the film pulls no punches in this warts and all treatment. As his character says "I'm just an old broken down piece of meat...all alone...and I deserve to be alone...". This sort of tough dialog, very good acting and an unrelenting script make this one a memorable film....but such a painful one that many might want to think twice about watching.
By the way, in addition to being a very bloody and violent film, there is quite a bit of nudity. I was surprised to see Marisa Tomei doing all the nude scenes--usually with an Oscar-winning actress they do not do such work. For a woman in her mid-40s, she sure had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to her figure--but just be forewarned that you'll see a lot of her.