The Wrestler is the story of an aging wrestler, who is a king in the arena and won't trade his champion status for anything. Ring is his world and fans are his family.

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2013)

Plot: The Wrestler is the story of an aging wrestler, who is a king in the arena and won't trade his champion status for anything. Ring is his world and fans are his family.
Does this guy ever make a bad movie. Please name any if you can! Ever since "Requiem for a Dream" this guy (he's just in his 40s!) has been making peculiar yet astonishing movies. I can't pick any favorite; they all are equally genius.
Outside the arena protagonist is a failure as a man, as a father, and as a lover. A heart attack forces him to retire and now he has to survive in the real world. He does try hard to make it work but world is not an arena where you know who you need to fight. Moreover, he only knows one thing--Wrestling--what price he has to pay for it matters not.
Eventually, with a bang, the king returns to the ring once again.
********Spoilers ahead**********
He knows his final high-profile fight will be too stressful and another cardiac arrest definitely in order. Still, he goes ahead with it and dies "a king".
***************************** As for acting, Mickey Rourke is incredible. He might not be the best looking or most versatile actor out there but has something very catchy about him and a good director can easily exploit it--like Rodriguez did in Sin City. Marisa Tomei compliments Rourke very well, and Evan Rachel Wood looks good.
Best thing about Darren Aronofsky is his realistic presentation of human psyche and emotions.
8.3/10