I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was a kid, and grew up to be a bit of a mark for it. Never mind that it’s fake and scripted; there’s always something about professional wrestling that keeps me riveted to every storyline, every angle, and every match. I guess it’s the element of spectacle in pro wrestling; in so many ways, a pro wrestler icon is larger than life. Why wouldn’t you be, when you’re supposed to be at the peak of physical fitness? Why wouldn’t you be, when you lead entirely different lives in and out of the ring? That difference, I think, is the underlying theme of The Wrestler.
I’m going out on a limb in saying that this could very well be one of the best movies of the year.
