Randy "The Ram" Robinson, once at the very top of the wrestling business, performing in major arenas around the world in front of thousands, now scrapes a living wrestling in high school gyms in front of a hundred people while also working part time at a supermarket deli counter. Who else could embody this man but Mickey Rourke. A major star in the 80's, before a decade of hard living left him at the bottom of the scrap heap, with an almost unrecognisable face, taking parts in films that Rourke himself called "creative sell-outs". With The Wrestler, Rourke has created a role for the ages which, if there's any justice, should catapult him back to the top and garner big awards recognition. He perfectly captures the essence of a man who, through any cost, wants to keep doing the thing he loves. A character that is, in turns, b eautiful, heart-breaking, brutal, sometimes pathetic, but never less than real. Of course, Rourke deserves the plaudits, but respect must also go to director Darren Aronofsky and screen-writer Robert D. Siegel. Siegel has written a beautiful script, that delves beneath the garish costumes and pantomime fighting to reveal the heart and soul of a world that, while often derided, mocked and ridiculed, is rarely given the respect it deserves. For Aronofsky, The Wrestler represents a change of pace from his previous films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), and shows what a versatile director he is, and also what a great director of actors he is, guiding Rourke and Marisa Tomei (who does wonders with the cliched stripper part). If your not a wrestling fan, then you will still enjoy this. If your a wrestling fan, you will love this glimpse behind the curtain, and you will have fun spotting the real life wrestlers (R-Truth, Ernest "The Cat" Miller) and organisations (ROH, CZW), and this would make a great companion piece with Barry Blaustein's superb documentary Beyond the Mat, as both look at an industry that uses it's performers before spitting them out when it's finished with them, and yet they keep going, spurred on by the cheers of the crowd. A beautiful and stunning film that I absolutely loved from start to finish. Go see it, please.