Mickey Rourke is great as the veteran show-wrestler Randy “the ram” Robinson in Aronofsky’s latest film. 20 Years after his peak, “The Ram” still does wrestling shows and Aronofsky gives a good insight in that strange world with its vague border between real and played. Besides his wrestling, Randy tries to lead a normal life, but the outside world turns out to hurt more than tricks with staple guns, barbwire or glass. “The Wrestler” starts like a wrestling spectacle, but grows towards being a drama about a troubled man. Rourke’s part is not entirely unlike that in “Sin City“, but he shows that he can still act, also in the dramatical scenes. Aronofsky has again managed to make a film that stays in my head. “The Wrestler” is truely a great film with great acting, a beautiful stripper, pompous wrestling scenes and very subtely a deep look into the world of show wrestling. One minor point: the free-hand filming might give the film more motion/action, but it not a pleasure to watch on the big screen.
