The Wrestler

I saw the film" The Wrestler" last night. All that I can say is, "Wow!" what a story! Parts of this film were quite difficult for me to watch. I am a healer by nature and I have difficulty understanding why someone would put their body through such pain over and over and over again. Mickey Rourke really put in an exceptional performance on this one. I also thought that Marisa Tomei did an excellent job as an ageing stripper. They both must have put in countless hours at the gym to get in shape for their respective parts. Both were at the end of careers that they should have given up long ago. Although the film focused primarily on the wrestler (Mickey Rourke) and his personal and professional challenges associated with ageing out if his profession, these issues were present for the stripper (Marisa Tomei) as well. What I loved most about this movie was the intimate portrayal of a person so devoted to the past that he had no way of making any sense of his future. His body was going, going, gone, but he still couldn't let go of that glory day, April 6, 1989, the date that was the fulcrum of his life. The very best part of this film, besides the truly great acting, was the terrific ending. I despise tidy, happy endings that don't fit in the real world and this one went beyond my expectations. I also enjoyed the music, it went perfectly with the lifestyles and expectations of the film's characters.