Wrestler, The

The Wrestler is exhilarating entertainment - dynamic and humane, awesome and poetic - and marks an astounding come back by actor Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Nine 1/2 weeks) under the masterful direction of Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream).

Back in the late 1980's, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) was a champion professional wrestler. Now 20 years later, he ekes out a living stacking shelves in a supermarket and performing fights for handfuls of die hard wrestling fans in high school gyms around New Jersey.

It soon becomes clear though, that amateur wrestling is not just a money making arrangement for the physically shattered ex-champ the - ring is the only place of comfort to him in a world he finds bewildering.

Estranged from his teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood: Thirteen) and essentially alone in the world, Randy is a battered dreamer who lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans.

A setback forces Randy to reconnect with his daughter and striking up a blossoming romance with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei: Before The Devil Knows Your Dead, My Cousin Vinny). Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy "The Ram" back into the world of wrestling.

A Rocky style drama, The Wrestler delivers just the right amount of raw action and grit balanced with a finely detailed and affecting story which will stun audiences.

Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances.