A surprisingly good movie

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2009)

I went into the movie quite the skeptic, since I heard that the movie was about an aging professional wrestler (we all know it is not real!).
But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. And I should say it is definitely one of the better movies I have seen.
Good (no, great) performances from Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.
I thought Marisa's performance was quite powerful - though Rourke seems to be the one getting great reviews for his acting.
I agree with the observation that this movie is actually not about wrestling, and in fact is about a man who thinks of his profession as more than just a means to live. It is his life itself, and to him it means everything, as there is little else happiness left for him.
It takes two professions (wrestling and prostitution) which are much maligned, and manages to create a very strong and compelling script.
That is one of it's accomplishments, other than the good performances and the haunting background score.