The Wrestler

**** Stars

The Wrestler is the best film of 2008.

I thought Revolutionary Road was a lock for the #1 spot, and although its equally worthy, The Wrestler is something we have never seen before. Not only does it have the greatest performance of the year (the comeback of Mickey Rourke) but it is also one of the most emotionally involving character studies I have ever seen. This is proof that director Darren Aronofsky (one of my favorite directors, obviously) has the ability to shift from flashy visuals to character substance without any signs of uncertainty. The Fountain was the best film of 2006 and The Wrestler is the best film of 2008. Darren, you amaze me.

This is the portrait of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (real name Robin Ramzinski), a fictitious professional wrestler nearing the end of his career. When he has a heart attack after a brutal match, he is forced to retire. Through this, Randy begins to question his existence and reclaim what he lost during his years as a bad father and mediocre friend. He asks himself how after all his ups and downs, he finds himself living alone in a trailer park. Wrestling is the only thing he knows and the only place (the ring) he can truly live. The most brutal parts of this film are not the violent matches, but the emotional journey back to a life he cannot control.

Marisa Tomei is fantastic as Cassidy, a stripper and Randy's only true friend. As the two interact, we learn that there is more to Cassidy than just a stripper looking for money. Both of these characters are real humans dealing with real life issues and Aronofsky displays them as the utmost, down-to-earth characters you will see all year. Not one scene is wasted or faltered, which allows viewers to forget that they are watching a movie. Even the low budget of this film gives authenticity to the actors in it.

Rourke does more than just emotional acting here. Before principal photography, Rourke trained for four months to learn how to wrestle and embody the stamina a wrestler faces during every match. Every move he makes in that ring is an astonishing feat in physical acting. Combining physicality and emotional brutality, Rourke has a lock for an Oscar nomination and if everything goes the way it should, his first Oscar win.

When Randy says this line to his daughter he abandoned years prior (played wonderfully by Evan Rachel Wood): "I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be all alone, I just don't want you to hate me," I immediately knew that Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson was giving the performance of the year, his career, and a lifetime. The Wrestler is an odyssey, one that stands the test of time in every person that has gone through the pain of being unable to rediscover the nostalgic memories that we all desire once again.