The Wrestler

I'm not going to put any spoilers in, so feel free to read even if you want to see "The Wrestler".

All I wanna say is that this is the best movie I can remember seeing in a long time. I say "remember seeing" because I forget a lot of shit these days, and I may have seen something last month that I liked better.

This movie, about a once-great-but-now-broken-down wrestler, is full of heart. Mickey Roarke plays this thing straight, and he is terrific, probably the best thing I've ever seen him do, with the possible exception of his partially computer generated role in "Sin City", which was (I say with massive guilt) a fantastically fun movie that I consider a favorite. You either love that one, or hate it, but I have yet to hear of anyone who plops down somewhere in the middle. The lines are so cheesy, you simply have to love it, in my book.

But I digress... so back to "The Wrestler". Roarke plays a real character, in fact, all the characters are genuine. They are beautifully flawed. Marisa Tomei blew me away as an aging stripper. This is the grittiest work I've seen her do since "In the Bedroom". Evan Rachel Wood is the soot-of estranged daughter, and she is excellent as well. But it all flows through Roarke, who seemed to own this role from the get-go.

Just see this thing when you can, eh?