Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Mickey Rourke's performance in Darren Aronofsky's new film, The Wrestler, hype that is well deserved. He completely dissapears into this character, whose story parallels the actor's own professional life in films, and is now only finding success and recognition after spending much of his career floundering in films not worthy of his acting talent. Drawing upon these professional and other personal turmoils, this is the film that will allow him to finally get the roles he deserves.

Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a used-to-be-bigtime-wrestler who now performs in shows in hired gymnasisms, his biggest fans being the two kids from the local neighbourhood. The physical requirement is still there, and they do get hurt - "it's scripted, not fake"- especially when an adversary decides on the use of stapleguns and barbed wire would make the show more entertaining. After sustaining a life threatening injury as a result, he is told he may never wrestle again.

On his journey to find meaning in his life outside of wrestling, he takes up menial jobs, tries to reconnect with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and forge a friendship with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper with a heart of gold. Or at least silver. Randy is however disconnected from the outside world, and struggles to find meaning outside the world he has created for himself.

The film feels real. There's an authenticity to the way Aronofsky uses his camera in long tracking shots following Randy from one place to another, a documentary feel without resorting to cheap and annoying shaky cam cliches. The picture it paints of this singularly talented but damaged soul is sympathetic and uplifting but equally almost tragic. Both Randy and Cassidy live between two worlds; Cassidy tries to maintain the illusion of separation between her job as a stripper and her home life, while Randy throws himself into the unknown following his injury. These juxtapositions are the focus of the film.

The heart, however, remains with Rourke and his stunningly honest performance, coupled with some very fine understated writing. Keep an eye for it to pick up some acting nods come oscar time.