The Wrestler

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: R
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood,

What I loved: The Wrestler is well acted, and the story is well done. It is eerie to watch Mickey Rourke act so well in a movie so similar to his own story. I am from Tulsa, and remember his character in Rumble Fish (you might only know of the Outsiders, but we Tulsa-folk know all of S.E. Hinton - although, have you looked at the cast from that one??? definitely worth checking out!) - the Motorcycle Boy. The movie is hard to watch because it is somewhat true to life about what it takes to change. I absolutely loved - in retrospect - how high the mountain of life-redemption looks with the entire movie piled on top of it.

What I did not love: Like people - the movie's strengths are also what make it difficult to watch. it is hard to watch Marisa Tomei as an aging mother in a strip club - for lots of reasons. The acting is incredible, and I think the movie might suffer without as many scenes as there are in the strip club - but that makes it difficult to watch sometimes.

Movement: The Wrestler moves at a nice 40 MPH clip. You walk down hallways, you enter the ring with Rourke, the music changes in volume. It sways in and out of redemption-potential in all aspects - romantically, professionally, and in regards to his daughter.

4/5 stars