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(This review contains spoilers. You have been warned.)

"I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90's."

-- Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke)

The Wrestler is an utterly compelling character study of fictional '80s wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson. It's an underdog story centred upon one man's desire to please other people before himself. It's a portrait of raw human emotion that contains so much heart it'll make you think twice about calling wrestling fake ever again.

Rocky for the wrestling world? It may also be. Indeed, there are elements of Stallone's self-destructive physical stamina in Mickey Rourke's performance as the aging wrestler. He is a man struggling with day-to-day life, who has difficulty developing relationships with the people around him. He lives alone, in his van, with very little money. The only sense of satisfaction he gets is entertaining the people through wrestling -- and this comes at a price.

The constant beatings mean The Ram's health is under huge threat. He soon has a heart attack and collapses in the dressing room, and doctors warn him that if he enters the ring again he could seriously end up dying. Wrestling may have a pre-determined victor, but it has a gritty reality of violent punishment on one's life. Some stunning choreography exhibits bodies being beaten with barbed wire, glass and even staple guns.

Feeling neglected, he attempts to contact his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), having not spoken to her for years. He also goes in pursuit of a local lap-dancer (Marisa Tomei) to see if he can develop a meaningful relationship outside of her workplace.

Things start to look up, so The Ram does the sensible thing and decides to retire. He then begins to work full-time at the local supermarket deli counter, cheerfully serving old ladies that come into the store on a regular basis. He soon finds that people tend not to recognise him as being a legendary wrester of the '80s; they just see him as a typical human being. This is acceptable for a while, but he later finds the temptation to wrestle is still there, deep within.

We, the audience, get to witness an uplifting tale of human spirit. But that is not to say The Wrestler is sensitive mush. Rather than demanding our sympathy, it patiently takes us on a journey of an everyman's ups and downs, allowing us to see the good and bad in the character. Beyond The Ram is an imperfect character -- he gives into the temptations of a coke- sniffing and having sex with a random whore -- but we can see his true heart, behind closed doors, that a majority of the world doesn't see. We notice the tears in the character's eyes when he looks at old photos of his glory days; we understand the amount of passion he puts into pleasing the crowds when we see him before and after his bouts in the ring. Rouke has given us a powerhouse performance of one man's determination: The character appears authentic, and we route for him.

Despite The Ram's status as an entertainer, it is the raw emotion in him that many of us can relate to -- and this is what makes The Wrestler so great. It may have a recycled formula of similar "sports movies" that have come before (i.e. Rocky), but it's a testament to just how good Mickey Rourke is that we'll be recalling this film for many years to come.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.