Tragic and poignant - is that really Mickey Rourke?

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2014)

Mickey Rourke may be an unusual choice for a leading man these days, but, upon watching The Wrestler, it was hard to imagine the film with anyone else.
He plays a 'burned out' wrestler whose glory days have long since passed him by. He lives in a trailer, works part-time at a local supermarket and barely sees his daughter. We watch as he tries desperately to form relationships and regain his career. Like people said that The Man Who Fell to Earth was basically about David Bowie playing a - slightly warped - version of himself, The Wrestler is effectively Mickey Rourke. He's seen his best - acting - days and is trying to climb back up the ladder - the hard way.
If you're not a fan of 'professional' wrestling, don't worry. The actual 'ring time' makes up about 12 minutes of a 1 hour 40 minutes film. And, what grappling there is, only proves the point that it's all fake and one big show for the people.
There's little to laugh at here. It's a sad tale of someone who has had a taste of the big life and lost it. Now he'll do anything to get it back. It's definitely not a feel-good movie. If you want something tragically poignant, where you root and feel sorry for the 'hero' all at the same time, try this. Mickey Rourke is more than just muscles.