At least now I have seen at least one film nominated for an Oscar this year; Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER. It's a brutal and probably accurate depiction of life in the bottom rings of the Pro Wrestling circuit. Rourke plays an aging muscle-bound lunk, whose 1980's heyday in the wrestling world are in sharp contrast to his current bottom-feeder status. Like a decrepit blonde Thor with bulking muscles, scars and bandages, and a face as worn as an old punching bag, Rourke delivers a sad and powerful performance as a man reaching for the thunder in a merciless sky. I thought the last moments of the film were a note of optimism, while the three friends I saw it with felt it was only tragic. Minor argument ensued.
