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The Wrestler

2008

Darren Aronofsky

Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Judah Friedlander ...

7.2

46,475

Drama Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"Like its hero, the movie has a blunt, exuberant honesty, pulling off even its false moves with conviction and flair."	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"Like many great performances, it has an element of truth (...) The most fascinating element in Darren Aronofsky's film is the backstage detail about wrestling (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Something about this gutsy, heartfelt drama (...) alchemises Rourke's conceit into a terrifically engaging, likable and even vulnerable performance (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Dan Jolin Empire	"An emotional smackdown. Rourke's never been better, and the change of pace and texture suits Aronofsky perfectly (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Sukhdev Sandhu Telegraph	"Mickey Rourke makes a compelling comeback to seduce the viewer (...) An often-brutal, always-compelling portrait"	POS
United States	Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"Rourke gets everything right (...) Aronofsky transcends what could have been a formula story in lesser hands (...) You watch 'The Wrestler' (...) in a state of pure exhilaration."	POS
United States	Esquire	"A nearly flawless performance by a fine actor (...) An honest American movie -- grim and funny and loud as hell"	POS
United States	Mick LaSalle SFGATE	"The result is some kind of true American poem (...) Frankly, it's impossible to tell where the wrestler starts and Rourke leaves off"	POS
United States	Anthony Lane The New Yorker	"What Rourke offers us, in short, is not just a comeback performance but something much rarer: a rounded, raddled portrait of a good man."	POS
United States	Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"Any number of directors and actors could've messed up 'The Wrestler' (...) Not Aronofsky and Rourke. They know, in their bones, this script is shameless (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS

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