The Wrestler

I just came from seeing The Wrestler, and remember that the first time I saw Mickey Rourke he was an arsonist in "Body Heat" with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. I have read some posts that suggest that this is autobiographical, but I am not so sure. I do believe that it is a powerful film about making choices and living with the consequences. It is sad, true, and emotionally gripping all at once. He plays his character with great respect for the man, never stooping into parody, even as we all see how scripted and unreal the wrestling is. I am especially affected by Marisa Tomei's character, an aging stripper in a seedy NJ club. Both of them are "meat". Sold off a little at a time to a crowd or a customer, but where she pulls back from the edge, he runs right toward it.
I didn't intend this blog to be a movie review site, and it won't be, but I was blown away today.