Watch it for the great acting done by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2009)

As I was watching "The Wrestler" I was already trying to determine what I would rate it on a five star scale. Three or four stars? Certainly not five. The first 40 minutes left me wanting more and hoping the movie got better. Don't get me wrong, Rourke was great in the film's entirety as was Marisa Tomei. I cannot fault the acting in this movie at all. (Except for Evan Rachel Wood. I found she did a bit too much over acting and came off as melodramatic as she always does.) While this certainly wasn't a bad movie and it was well acted and well written it was awfully paced. Perhaps I'm just not an Aronofksy fan as I found "Requiem for A Dream" had the same problem - Excellent acting, horrible pacing. (I have yet to see his other films - "The Fountain" being one I'd really like to see.) I should also note that in parts it felt like every other art house flick to have come out in the past ten years or so.
Having said all of that, I didn't dislike this movie and I do enjoy films that feel more independent. I don't regret having watched it. I just expected something more. Rourke definitely deserves to win the Academy award for his performance.