The Wrestler

The Wrestler is a touching film about an aging pro wrestler who, faced with his own mortality tries to make amends to all those he's wronged or neglected in his life.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke, is an aging wrestler, who after a heart attack wants to reconnect with his daughter Stephanie, played by Evan Rachel Wood, and an exotic dancer named Cassidy, played by Marisa Tomei. His attempts to return to a normal life lead to more conflict with those he cares about as his heart weakens.

Mickey Rourke gave a performance in the film that was nothing short of magnificent. Rourke was truly transformed into "The Ram." It seemed as if any moment he would step right off the screen. It seemed as if Rourke could feel the emotional pain that his character was going through, and that it came from somewhere inside him.

The one major drawback of this film was its cinematography. While it is understandable that the constant third person over-the-shoulder shots were symbolic, the constant use of them became a detractor from the film. It would have been nice to see some variation in the camera angles used.

"The Wrestler" is an excellent film that should be considered a must-see for 2009.