Great film

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2010)

"The Wrestler" is a powerful study of a man who has gone from the top of the world to the bottom of it.
Mickey Rourke (in an excellent performance) is Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a legendary professional wrestler who headlined events for years. He is now wrestling for an independent circuit on weekends in small auditoriums. What's more, Robinson is involved in hardcore matches, which are no picnic. When he is not wrestling, the protagonist tries to find work in the meat department at a grocery store . During his free time, he visits the local strip club, where Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) works.
After one of the hardcore contests, Robinson suffers a heart attack in the locker room. After he wakes up in a hospital bed, his doctor tells him that changes in his lifestyle must be made, and that he has no choice. One of the changes is that he can never wrestle again. If Robinson does not follow this order, it could mean serious consequences.
Once Cassidy finds out what happened to Robinson, she asks him about his daughter, whom he hasn't seen in years. Because of Robinson's status as a wrestler, he was constantly on the road. This resulted in missed birthdays, holidays, and other important events in his daughter's life. Obviously, this created a rift in their relationship.
With help from Cassidy, Robinson decides to see his daughter, Stephanie. Initially, she does not want to see him, but she does spend time with him. Will their relationship heal after so many years? As for Robinson, he hears that a special twentieth anniversary match between he and a fellow wrestler is in the works. The match they had was a major one at that time, and Robinson contemplates participating, knowing what could happen.
Tomei is good as Cassidy , and Evan Rachel Wood gives a nice performance as Stephanie. The wrestling scenes can make someone squeamish, so you have been warned.
Another aspect of the film I want to talk about is the title itself: The Wrestler. This title has two meanings. One of them is self-explanatory, and has been talked about in this review. The other is that Robinson is wrestling with life. He was a man who was probably as popular as Hulk Hogan (I read somewhere that the Ram was modeled after Hogan), and looking at him now, you would not know it. There are several scenes that convey this message, especially early on when Robinson goes home. Just look at where home is. It is not a place you would expect a well known wrestler to be residing. The title may seem plain, but it is brilliant.
Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this movie. I try not to take awards shows seriously, but if Rourke had won Best Actor for this at the Oscars, I feel he would have deserved it. A Best Picture nomination would have been justified, too.
My conclusion: This is worth watching.