an absolute knockout!

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2011)

i had quite high expectations of The Wrestler with all the great reviews it got and have to say i wasn't disappointed one bit.
The story is great, the wrestling is awesome & the overall outlook is memorable. Mickey Rourke's performance was brilliant. He really stepped up his game for this movie and gave an exceptional performance as the wrestler. Darren Aronofsky did an amazing job with this film. Without a doubt one his best finest he's made.
the wrestling matches were awesome. They weren't amateur or poorly acted, instead they made you feel like you were watching a professional wrestling match.
The depressing yet entertaining storyline kept you intrigued the whole movie and was admirable.
One of the things I loved about this movie was it's originality. It was a bit of a risk this film because it's not everyones idea of a great film and obviously wrestling isn't everyones favourite thing in the world. However Darren Aronofsky & Mickey Rourke defiantly pulled it off and made you love every minute of the film, whether you like wrestling or not.
the whole idea of an ageing wrestler who is at the peak of his career and try's to fix everything he messed up in his family life in order to live his dream is memorable and i can't find a fault in the story.
overall i would have to say this was a truly great film. All the performances were exceptional, the directing was inspiring & the story was awesome! AN INSTANT CLASSIC.