The Wrestler Review ***spoilers***

As usual, Darren Aronofsky brings us another psychological complex and depressing film for us to analyze deeply. This time however, it was far from being his usual. Without any out of this world story or setting, without any disturbing images and music about drugs, only a simple "documentary" about an old beaten wrestler. Supported with only a cast of 3 people, a powerful deep screenplay and a ferocious direction, Aronofsky creates his best film to date, and definitely one of the best of the year, in a harsh story about the final steps in life.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson is a wrestler with a falling career. He, who once enjoyed glory and fame 20 years ago, has reached a point in life where he can only keep up through medication, while hardly having enough to pay the bills. Alone in the world, except for a broken relationship with his daughter, and his only friend in the world, Cassidy, a 43 year old pole dancing mother with her own struggling life. After a heart pounding fight, Randy suffers a stroke, and wakes up only to realize his heart can no longer take the wrestling career on. He decides to make changes in her life, get a new job, ammend things with her daughter, and maybe finding her counter part in Cassidy. After trying different roads, he only comes to realize he may have had only one objective in life: wrestling, anything else doesn't work out for him.

Despite the low budget used for the film, it never lacks any visual innovations. A true outstanding makeup, a "documentary" work in the cinematography, and an extremely subtle score, accompanied in the end by Bruce Springsteen's beautiful song, the perfect closure to the experiences just lived through. And despite the story's slow development, not once did I look at my watch or wondered how much was left. In less than the first 15 minutes of film, you feel involved in the story and concerned about the characters, thanks much, to one of the screenplays with some of the best character development of the decade. A harsh truth, but at the same time, a heartful and daring work.

Much of the screenplay's effectiveness comes from the strength of the cast. With a relatively unkown cast of only 3 major players, the film never lacks any greatness from the acting. First of all, Mickey Rourke, the man of the hour. In what became one of the most amazing portrayals I've seen on the big screen in a very long time, even if Penn was good, it annoys me Rourke didn't walk away with the gold at the Oscars. Much of the critizism to the performance comes from Rourke's similarities to the character. Well, here's my answer: whether Rourke was Randy or not, in the film we don't see a spark of Rourke, we get to see Randy. He completely imerges himself into the most heartful and deep performance by a male in a very long time. And in those last minutes of life, all beaten up and ready for his last "Ram Jam", you get to see a live being, not only on screen. That for me, beats Penn acting as a gay political leader, or even Richard Nixon.

One would think that the movie is all about Rourke, well it is, and at the same time, it isn't. The two other major players: Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood are great at standing up to Rourke's tremendous work, and even with little screentime, their presence is felt throughly. Especially Tomei, who, like Rourke, took a simple "cliched" character and turned it into a complete human being. An interesting look at pole dancers, not the usual stuff we are used to. Meanwhile, in less than 10 minutes on screen, Rachel Wood screams, shout, cries and makes you feel for her. Never getting lost between Tomei and Rourke's grandness.

So yes, one would argue about the film being an acting showcase, and it is, but in a strange situation, the film is also propelled by great stuff behind it pushing further away, creating definitely Mr. Aronofsky's masterpiece. A deep, tragic and complex screenplay, a smart look and direction added to the already mentioned great performances make this one of the best of the year, and in this writer's humble opinion, much better than the Academy's 5 final picks.

RATING: 8/10