And the Winner is... The Wrestler!

Finally! I sat down to watch the award winning, Oscar nominated movie The Wrestler today. Recently I saw Black Swan which was said to be a companion piece to this movie. I LOVED Black Swan. I can't stress that enough so I was really looking forward to The Wrestler. But to be honest I was a little worried that my expectations would be too high as I've also heard so many good things about it. But luckily I didn't have to worry because The Wrestler has the strength to back up all those claims. More praise after the jump!


For the few who don't know The Wrestler, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is about an aging professional wrestler who used to be one of the biggest stars in the business. Finally at the end of his rope, he does whatever he can to make ends meet, reconnect with his estranged daughter, and give one last shot at a huge comeback.

Where do I start? The acting? The characters? The dialog? The look of the film? All of them are great! I went through a whole spectrum of emotions watching this movie too. I just couldn't help empathizing with him as he went day to day through his now miserable life, highlighted by moments that should seem sad and pathetic.

That's one thing that stood out to me. Situations like going to the sleazy dive strip bar and trying to have a meaningful relationship with one of the girls there should be such a low point. But compared to everything else going on in his life, you actually start to feel the same way he does. Her friendly smile really is all he has left. And then just when you think things can't get any worse for him, it does.

Rourke is totally convincing in all the wrestling scenes

Now for the wrestling fans out there, I'm actually not sure if you'd like this movie. Sure there's lots of wrestling, and really convincing wrestling as far as I'm concerned. Especially when they showed the fight with the tables, panes of glass, barbed wire and the staple gun. I cringed during that whole scene. But there's also a lot of peaks behind the scenes that might put a damper on the whole affair. Personally I found it all very interesting and loved the bond and connection he had to the other younger wrestlers. This is directly contrasted with seeing the situations the older ones now live in when he goes to a photo and signature event.

Mickey Rourke does a fantastic job here. He really comes out of nowhere and everything is so real and heartfelt. And my hat's off to Marisa Tomei. She actually does several topless scenes in this movie which was completely unexpected. Above and beyond the call of duty as far as I'm concerned, and is just another element that cements this movie firmly in the gritty muddy dirt of the life of the main character.

I really liked this movie and I can understand why it got all the praise that it did. However, considering how closely it's tied to Black Swan, I can't help but think of that movie when thinking of this one. The Wrestler is good, Black Swan is better, but together as a set they make something profound and unique. Try and see both if you haven't already.