The Wrestler

Believe the hype, The Wrestler is a great movie, if a smidgen predictable. While much has been written about the 'Second Coming of Mickey Rourke' and his overdue acting redemption, Marisa Tomei arguably gives an even more astonishing performance as the stripper Rourke's character is besotted with. Darren Aronofsky's portrayal of a washed-up wrestling star, forced to retire and struggling to make ends meet, is bleakly funny, often moving and cinematically breathtaking. The director displays some neat touches, and The Wrestler features the most dramatic scenes set in a supermarket since Anne Malone was frozen to death in one of Bettabuys' freezers in a bygone episode of Coronation Street. Where so many Hollywood sports movies are all about the winning, The Wrestler examines the flip-side - a seamier side that demonstrates what can transpire when the American Dream becomes a nightmare.