Definitely worth the time

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2011)

Randy "The Ram" was a famous wrestler who enjoyed the cheers of the satisfied crowd. But that was the 80's. He doesn't have a lot left going for him in the business... and then he has a heart attack. The doctors say he can't pursue that anymore, and he has to try to cope with a regular life, something he abandoned decades ago... maybe reconnect with his daughter that he hasn't seen for a long time. Like with everything else by Aronofsky, you don't have to be a fan of the specific activity it deals with(the others including doing drugs, math, searching for eternal life and ballet), and the main theme is again reality vs. fiction. For our lead, his life is in the ring. He has trouble making anything outside of that persona work, as well as with distinguishing between what someone appears to be and what they are. It's about identity, the fragility and loss of such, and that is something we can all relate to. The world of "performing" is the environment, and this does a nice job of establishing a situation and then moving on, not lingering and yet making us realize the boredom and pain of it. Dialog is good and realistic. The ending is ambiguous and effective. This is a genuinely touching drama. The pace doesn't pick up right off the bat, so I urge anyone who finds themselves into the conflict to stay with it. There is some nudity, sexuality, bloody violence and strong language in this. The DVD comes with a 43 minute documentary called Within the Ring that I will review on its own page here on the site and a two minute trailer. I recommend this to everyone who can handle it. 8/10