The Wrestler

Ann and I saw The Wrestler last night. Well, actually, Ann saw more of it than I did as I had my eyes closed during the wrestling scenes . . . I'm a bit of a baby when it comes to blood and violence. It's a gritty, intense movie that balances the family atmosphere and comradery among professional wrestlers and the no-holds barred stunts and gimmicks they come up with to rev up the crowd as they fight each other in seedy VFW Halls and low-rent venues. The director also brings out the contrast between Randy "The Ram's" life as a tough, hard-partying womanizer who lights up before a crowd and his endearing, vulnerable qualities as a lonely man with a pretty empty life. Mickey Rourke is amazing in this role as a former star who has pushed his body about as far as it can go, but has nothing else in his life to turn to when he reluctantly decides to "retire."

We saw a little more of Marisa Tomei than we ever wanted to in her role as an aging stripper, but she gives a brave and moving performance. In her role as The Ram's estranged daughter, Evan Rachel Wood, is excellent. The scenes between Wood and Rourke are touching and, untimately, heart-breaking. This is a tough one to watch at times (althoughyou can always just close your eyes like I did!), but worth seeing for the incredible performances and its honest look at the world of professional wrestling.