Pinned

The Wrestler (2008)

Darren Aronofsky directs Mickey Rourke in an Oscar nominated performance as the title character. “The Ram” is an ageing former professional wrestler trying to fix his life after a heart attack.

The plot for this film is not massively original but is told in an excellent way which avoids the usual melodrama, sentimentality and clichés of weaker film makers. While wrestling is a subject that I have little interest in this film manages to rise above the subject matter thanks to the great characterisation of The Ram.

What the film is really about what happens to our heroes when they grow old and we do not care about them any more. The Ram loses the only thing he knows how to do and finds his obsession with his profession has left him with an empty and damaged existence. In the end the tragedy is that The Ram has to carry on wrestling because that is all he has.

4/5 more than wrestling.