The Wrestler

I saw Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler last night, and loved it. Very well acted, and each character was believable and well developed. Though this sounds banal, the director imbues his characters with a profound sense of humanity, particularly the protagonist, Randy "the Ram" Ramzinski. We aren't told how he got to be in his current state at the film's opening, but the man's life is pitiful. His body is wracked from years of being slammed on the mat, he has a hearing aid on his left ear, and a serious heart problem from years of steroid use. There are several scenes of him making calls on a pay phone, visiting a strip club to see Cassidy, the woman that he loves and closest thing that he has to family, and several heartbreaking encounters with his estranged daughter. I left the theatre feeling pretty somber, but it was an amazing film. I initially avoided it, as I'm not interested in professional wrestling at all, but it's a visceral, very human story, rather than a mere sports narrative.