Great sporting movie

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2009)

Mickey Rourke is back on form. I saw the trailer to this film and just knew I had to see it. The wrestling scenes were very well done - reminded me a bit of the wrestling one used to see on ITV on a Saturday afternoon during the 1970s in the UK. I thought the story was tightly organised and one could understand the main character's motive in continuing to wrestle - don't want to say more. I hardly ever give films such a high rating. This film stayed with me for hours after I'd seen it. Having seen The Reader all I'd say is that this film has so much more passion to it - especially from the performances of the 3 major characters - all have strengths and weaknesses. In some ways I found it a bit reminiscent of Million Dollar Baby - but it certainly isn't a derivative of that. Great sporting movie - but go and see it for yourself (shame on Bristol that the cinema in which I saw it was not even half full on a Saturday night).