Growing up a wrestling fan, I've been waiting to see a great wrestling movie. Who says wrestling is fake?, steel chair shots, head banging on steel turnbuckles, flying across the ring, blood pouring down the face, and many visit to your local hospitals on a regular basis. It is nice, finally, to see a movie with a different atmosphere, we've seen football, baseball, basketball, and even soccer movies get their chance to tell you what it's like to be a part of that life style. The Wrestler comes along and body slam it's way into your life.

Mickey Rourke plays Randy "the Ram" Robinson, a washed up, beat up-broken down wrestler, who, to date, still wrestles for pleasure and need. Mickey Rourke is able to bring this character to life, in one of the most tremendous and brave performances I have ever seen from Mickey Rourke.

Randy the ram now lives alone with his glory days behind him, working at a grocery store to help maintain himself financially, and working weekends at local school gyms, community centers, and dance halls to do what he loves to do, wrestle. Performing in front of a hundred people or maybe less. Randy the ram as well as his opponents treat this very seriously, taping their battered parts, pumping themselves up, and rehearsing the outcome of the match just before the show begins, some call this preparation "scripted". Randy the ram puts his body through a great ordeal of pain in the movies more graphic wrestling match, and after the match he is treated immediately for his wounds, all this for only a few hundred bucks at best.

Randy the ram has known only one thing his entire life; and that is wrestling. He has sacrificed his own, as well as his family's, life for this sport. Randy, now being older, finding it hard to maintain his physical abilities, subdues to pain killers and steroids usage. The down to earth, very gentle yet very tough and physically big, Randy the ram may have had his last match after collapsing at the end of a show due to a heart attack. After being told he could not wrestle again, Randy the ram now decides it is time to move on focusing on other things in his life, his grocery job and his distant relationship with his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Stephanie is less than happy to see him and has no problem showing it. He also focuses on a hope to be in a relationship with stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) or real name Pam.

The very beautiful Marisa Tomei, who is just wonderful in this movie and proves she still has her 1992 oscar winning talents, doesn't want a relationship with Randy the ram due to her principles, or should I say "rules", which do not allow her to date her customers. Which is a little hypocritical considering they both have the same line of work, the two very different lives of a wrestler and a stripper aren't so different, they both perform for an audience, it pays the bills, and there is always a connection with the audience.

The Wrestler is an inspiring picture, taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride. This movie, not only focuses on wrestling but also with the world around it. The Wrestler is directed by Darren Aronofsky who is not afraid to take you into the life of underground wrestling, depicting the tricks of the trade, from the before hand "scripting" backstage moments to the very brutal wrestling matches and taking you to raw-real environment of struggling performers. Making this one of the best movie I've seen because of it. Known for his proactive movies, Darren Aronofsky makes a beautiful masterpiece.

This movie gets everything right and I cannot say enough on Mickey Rourkes performance. It is great to see someone tell this story and handle it well. The movie is very violent, very graphic, and shows a great deal of nudity giving it the raw feeling it creates and deserving of a lot of attention. The passion of this movie will move you, the brutality will shake you, the performances will carry you, and the movie will inspire you. Though it will probably not make non wrestling fans, fans, it will show you a whole deal of respect for every wrestler out there putting on a show for our viewing pleasure. Please don't miss this extraordinary movie, you will be satisfied.